7. Research Paper Reflection

When we were first given the assignment of writing a research paper, I felt somewhat overwhelmed because I had no idea where to start. Up until now, the majority of papers I have had to write have been essentially persuasive essays. I talked to my mother about the assignment since we had to choose a family narrative to include. She suggested that I write about my great-great-great grandfather George Harrison who crossed the plains, lived with some Indians, and started one of the earliest restaurants in Utah. It was very interesting to research about George and see how his restaurant was established, and his intentions. I began thinking about just how much the eating industry has changed. It has become something that is just a way of living.

I became excited about researching the topic of eating habits and the benefits of eating in the home, but I did not know where I was going to find reliable sources. Thankfully, we spent a day in the library where we were taught how to look up sources and articles on the researcher guide. I was surprised how easy it was to find reliable and valid sources. Going through that process together has already helped me in other classes, and have made writing papers not so burdensome.

I found many interesting finds in my research. I think it is obvious to see that there are many health costs to eating out frequently. But specifically, I found that people tend to eat more than they normally would when eating out, than they would if they were in the home. People will eat an excess amount of calories, and not receive the sufficient energy from the food quality. This of course results in high rates of obesity, and a higher body mass index.

Another aspect I researched was the effect that eating in the home rather than eating out has on the effect of family relationships. Some researchers did a study where they found that adolescents and children exhibit better behavior and make better choices if they have a structured family dinner around the table than those who don't. Even if those within a family don't have the strongest relationships, providing a structure where children are able to communicate with their parents and gain good eating habits will have a greater well-being.

The last thing I researched for this paper was the monetary cost of eating out. There is a significant difference in the amount of money that is spent by those who eat out compared with those who buy fresh groceries and eat home-cooked meals. Although it is true that eating out appears to be most beneficial because it takes much less time and effort, there is too much unnecessary money that is spent on eating out. There are short term effects, as well as long term. Since frequently eating out attributes a great factor to obesity, over 25% of health care is due to the cost of obesity.

There were many more interesting things I found, and it definitely changed my perspective on everyone's eating habits. Being able to bring my ancestor into the paper made it a lot more meaningful and personal, and helped me become engaged as I researched the paper. I found that incorporating something personal to me and my family helped me become a better writer.