Pointless purchases revealedКомментарии: 24

Читайте: Тайна бессмысленных покупок

Hoarders

Everyone knows why foodstuffs end up in the trash dumps. But why were they thrown away to begin with? They weren't eaten, of course. Maybe the foodstuffs just went bad. Or their expiration dates expired...

Still, though, why wasn't the food eaten? When the consumers bought the goods, they wanted them for sure. Did they lose their appetite when they got home? That's partially true. But the main reason, scientists say, is that they buy too much — way too much.

According to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, every third resident makes mindless purchases, buying goods that wind up in the trash. Younger, well-off consumers buy the most unnecessary goods. Half of all consumers under the age of 35 are hoarders. But there are also impulsive buyers among retirees — almost one-fifth of those surveyed.

Billions of tons in losses

Bread is the record holder at trash dumps and tossed out more than any other food . Vegetables, sausage, fruits and salads follow shortly after. Eleven percent of all meat and fish get tossed away. As the average person eats 50 kilograms of meat per year with livestock weighing around 300 kilograms, each year consumers send 2-3,000 heads of cattle to the garbage. And this doesn't include sausages.

The statistics for other food products aren't any better. The average Russian buys about 1,300 kilograms. One-tenth finds its way into the trash. This adds up to an unbelievable 20 million tons, or 2,000 trains composing 100 wagons per day.

Don't go to the store hungry

Canadian scientists from McGill University in Montreal found out the real reason why consumers buy more than they need. The answer is a hormone called greline, which was discovered by Japanese scientists in 1999. The hormone is produced in the stomach — during pangs of hunger especially — and forces an individual to eat more and more. However, the hormone isn't the only culprit at play.

"Greline affects the brain,"said neurophysiologist Ellaine Dager. "It actually changes the perception of food."According to the scientist, food products begin to look more appealing and smell more tempting when people are hungry and greline is produced. It leads consumers into temptation like a drug. The majority of people surrender to their stomach and pack their grocery carts full of surplus goods.

Store owners also provoke consumers. They cut their sausages, make salads, fry chicken and bake bread right by the aisles. They also place products on the shelves so they are easier to pick up.

"The hormone also improves vision,"Dager added. "We've done tests on volunteers where greline was artificially induced. They started to really see food better."

The data from the Russian Public Opinion Research Center leads to another conclusion — Russians (specifically younger) have a big appetite and see food products with hungry eyes.

Side effect

Extra cake

According to the Russian Public Opinion Research Center, the most popular foodstuffs that "I didn't plan on buying"are sweets. Twenty-six percent of Russians make these superfluous purchases; 6 percent of what they buy is thrown away. What they eat on an empty stomach is much more than a carbonated cola. In other words, unnecessary purchases aren't only filling up trash dumps, but the waistlines of ordinary Russians, too.

Don't go yo the store on an empty stomach! You'll be in better shape if you don't. Keep yourself under control!

What about them?

Freegans eat for free

Russian residents aren't the world's leaders in terms of purchasing surplus foodstuffs. The English throw away up 27 percent of what they buy. The Japanese, Germans and Italians toss out 40 percent.

Of course, the Americans throw away far more than anyone else. They get rid of almost half their food, or $50 billion per year.

According to Arizona University (that conducted the research), one-tenth of what gets tossed out is edible. The expiration date hasn't expired and the goods aren't even spoiled. Much of the food isn't even open. As a result, a new phenomenon has sprouted in the U.S. Individuals called freegans are heading to the dumps to sort the unopened from the opened and eat for free. The trend has spread to the UK.

"If we want to decrease the cost on food, we must mind the wasteful use of goods,"said UK Prime Minister Gordon Browne at the G8 Summit in Japan. Browne didn't have freegans in mind, although they seem to be doing their part in looking after wasted food.

Читайте: Тайна бессмысленных покупок

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