I. Introduction:
Fast-food craving is probably the most prevalent malaise that has gone unexamined as attention must remain focused on the Covid-19 pandemic.
Those finger-licking images splashed all over social media will probably be linked later to a latent yearning for banished (and vanished) fast-food treats. The flip side is that the weeks of enforced lockdown could become the inadvertent catalyst for mass junk-food de-addiction. A more compelling reason for such candour, however, could be the trend of ‘cocooning’, or locked-down cravers trying to reproduce on-trade favorites in their own kitchens. We know that you’ve been spending your time working from home and being committed to your fitness goals. But, what about those cravings that sneak up on you once in a while?
II. Objective:
This research was conducted in order to understand how the lockdown has affected our food craving habits. This also includes how staying at home leads to eating junk or getting bored of home cooked food, which in turn leads to generally fast food or junk food craving. The questions asked to the respondents were specific to the scope of food craving while the COVID-19 pandemic. This also included whether the respondents were craving junk food more over healthy home cooked food.
III. Problem Statement:
Lockdown has made it hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Sub-Problems:
1. Due to the lockdown, people have become lethargic as there is lack of intrinsic motivation to workout and stay active
2. The daily sleep cycle of people has been disrupted due to flexible work hours and lack of fixed schedule
3. Due to staying at home at all times, the craving for outside food has increased
Hypothesis 1:
Null Hypothesis (H0): I may or may not have gained weight during lockdown.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I have gained weight during lockdown.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I haven’t gained weight during lockdown.
Hypothesis 2:
Null Hypothesis (H0): I sometimes prefer ordering food over home-cooked food.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I prefer ordering food over home-cooked food.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I don’t prefer ordering food over home-cooked food.
Hypothesis 3:
Null Hypothesis (H0): I sometimes find cooking at home tiring.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I find cooking food at home tiring.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I don’t find cooking food at home tiring.
Hypothesis 4:
Null Hypothesis (H0): I sometimes find home-cooked food boring.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I find home-cooked food boring.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I don’t find home-cooked food boring.
Hypothesis 5:
Null Hypothesis (H0): I sometimes can’t cook as delicious food as authentic restaurants.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I can’t cook as delicious food as authentic restaurants.
Alternate Hypothesis (H1): I can cook as delicious food as authentic restaurants.
IV. Data Collection:
We conducted a survey to understand the cravings of outside food. The questionnaire had questions related to experience of home-made food and outside food. The questions were based on Likert scale and the respondents were asked to mark their preferences in all the questions. The sample consists of 100 people from different age groups.
V. Data Analysis:
Steps of Analysis:
• The collected data from the questionnaire was coded as -2, -1,0,1 and 2 starting from strongly disagree and ending towards strongly agree.
• The respective descriptive statistics of the questions were then calculated thereby giving us the mean, no. of sample and standard deviation values.
• The Standard Error of the data was then calculated using the standard deviation.
• For the calculation of z value, the confidence interval used is 95% and Hypothesized Mean (u) is 0. The z-value is then calculated and analysed.
Data Table:
1. I have gained weight during the lockdown.
Mean
Standard Deviation
No. of Sample
Standard Error
Confidence Level (Alpha)
Hypothized Mean (u)
Z Value
Decision
0.5100
1.2431
100
0.1243
0.05
0
4.1026
Accept
2. I prefer ordering food over home-cooked food.
Mean
Standard Deviation
No. of Sample
Standard Error
Confidence Level (Alpha)
Hypothized Mean (u)
Z Value
Decision
0.0300
1.1930
100
0.1193
0.05
0
0.2515
Neutral
3. I find cooking at home tiring
Mean
Standard Deviation
No. of Sample
Standard Error
Confidence Level (Alpha)
Hypothized Mean (u)
Z Value
Decision
0.2800
1.1378
100
0.1138
0.05
0
2.4609
Accept
4. I find home-cooked food boring.
Mean
Standard Deviation
No. of Sample
Standard Error
Confidence Level (Alpha)
Hypothized Mean (u)
Z Value
Decision
-0.5700
1.0469
100
0.1047
0.05
0
-5.4445
Reject
5. I can’t cook as delicious food as authentic restaurants can.
Mean
Standard Deviation
No. of Sample
Standard Error
Confidence Level (Alpha)
Hypothized Mean (u)
Z Value
Decision
0.4000
1.2792
100
0.1279
0.05
0
3.1269
Accept
VI. Findings:
As per Question 1, the mean of the values is 0.51 which implies that majority of the people fall in the neutral or agree category and the z-value of 4.10 is greater than the accepted criteria of 1.96, so we will positively accept the statement, hence concluding that people have gained weight during the pandemic/lockdown.
As per Question 2, the mean of the values given is 0.03 which implies that majority of the people fall in the neutral category and the z-value of 0.25 is lesser than the accepted criteria of 1.96, so we can conclude that people are neutral and they sometimes prefer to order food over home-cooked food.
As per Question 3, the mean of the values given is 0.28 which implies that majority of the people fall in the neutral or agree category and the z-value of 2.46 is greater than the accepted criteria of 1.96, so we will positively accept the statement and can conclude that people find cooking at home tiring.
As per Question 4, the mean of the values given is -0.5 which implies that majority of the people fall in the category of disagree and neutral and the z-value of -5.44 is lesser than the accepted criteria of -1.96, so we will negatively accept the statement and can conclude that people don’t find home-cooked food boring.
As per Question 5, the mean of the values given is 0.4 which implies that majority of the people fall in the neutral and agree category and the z-value of 3.12 is greater than the accepted value of 1.96, so we will positively accept the statement and hence can conclude that people can’t cook as delicious food as the authentic restaurants.
VII. Conclusion
We can say that cravings for outside food during lockdown has increased and people have put on weight owing to reasons such as, finding cooking at home a tiring task, inability to cook as delicious food as authentic restaurants can, sometimes preferring ordering food over home cooked food.