This Week in Food News: Father’s Day Edition
Photo by Jun Robato
With Father’s Day around the corner, the food world is abuzz with excitement. In this week’s food news installment, find out how the rest of the country is spending Father’s Day, why Obama celebrated days in advance, and more. Read below for the full scoop!
• The National Retail Federation predicts that Father’s Day spending will increase by 10 percent this year. A survey has revealed that the average shopper will spend $117.14 on gifts this year, which will work out to a whopping $12.7 billion in total spending. Total spending on special outings, like dining out, are projected to reach $2.3 billion. Menuism readers, do you have plans to celebrate Father’s Day at a restaurant? If you have not yet made your dinner reservations, act quickly!
• Father’s Day came early for President Obama, who celebrated on Wednesday at Kenny’s Smokehouse with four other fathers. Obama’s intimate lunch gathering on Capitol Hill comprised of two members of the military and two neighborhood barbers, with whom he discussed the “Fatherhood Buzz” initiative. The initiative was launched by the Department of Health and Human Services in order to “connect dads with financial literacy help, job training resources and other resources” through barbershops, where men frequently congregate.
While the lunch itself was a success, it has recently come to light that the White House had one cringe-worthy slip-up — they forgot to pay the bill. The bill for the president’s ribs and steamed veggies, along with his four other guests, came out to a total of $55.58. The White House was quick to fix their error and paid the bill by the end of the business day.
• In other news, two recent studies have suggested that sleep deprivation makes people less resistant to unhealthy foods. Marie-Pierre St-Onge of the New York Obesity Researcher Center conducted a study with 25 participants of normal weight. For five nights in a lab, participants alternated between getting nine hours and four hours of sleep. Afterwards, researchers showed the participants common images of healthy and unhealthy foods, ultimately finding that participants “ate 300 more calories per day, on average, after a night of four hours’ sleep.” In a second study, 16 participants were asked to rate their desire for certain food images after receiving a full night’s sleep or staying awake for 24 hours. Researchers found that the sleep-deprived participants expressed more desire for the unhealthy foods, and brain scans revealed that the brain regions associated with complex decision-making were impaired, leading to unhealthy decisions.
Menuism readers, do you find yourself craving unhealthy foods when you’re tired? Weigh in below!
Happy Father’s Day!
