The Weekly Frequency Consumption of French Fries - Essay Example

Fast foods, such as French fries, are believed to have such effects as increased levels of body calories and increased body weight. It is therefore important to ascertain this correlation with a focus on the frequency of consumption and this study investigates the relationship between twice-per-week consumption and three-times-per-week consumption with a focus on 16-year-olds. The following hypothesis is tested.

Sixteen-year-olds who eat French fries three times a week will gain more weight than those who eat French fries only twice a week.

Placement into either experimental or control groups is also done randomly. Treatment is then applied to the experimental group and data collection and data analysis follow. The research design is preferred for the study because of its strength in evaluating correlation relationships. The existence of experimental and control groups establishes the ground for comparisons. In the study, 150 16-year-olds will be recruited, randomly from an academic institution. They will be informed of the scope of the research and their consent, together with their parents’ approval obtained. The students will be restrained from consuming French fries for two weeks and their weights measured. They will then be organized into three groups of 30 participants each, by random selection. One group, the control group will be restrained from using French fries, another group will be restricted to two times per week consumption of French fries, and the third group allowed to take French fries three times a week. Discipline to the assigned consumption rates will be monitored for four weeks.

I shall assume the full responsibility of designing and implementing the study. This will aim at ensuring diligence in the implementation of the research design and the elimination of potential bias that could arise from the self-interest of a contracted party.

Data will then be collected for each group, after four weeks, and analysis for any significant difference in mean weight change across the groups done. Two approaches will be used for data analysis. The first approach will investigate possible differences in individuals’ weights before and after the four weeks of the experiment. Paired sample t-test will be used to test the null hypothesis that there is no significant difference in weights before and after consumption. Independent sample tests will then be conducted across the three groups to investigate the significance of differences in their mean weights. Establishing a significant difference would mean that the frequency of consumption per week is significant to body weight and the conclusion that sixteen-year-olds who eat French fries three times a week will gain weight than those who eat French fries only twice a week.