Behavior conditioning plan - Assignment Example

Changing fast-food eating behavior Fast food consumption has become a common phenomenon in the world today, particularly in America. Many people nowadays find it difficult to cook foods at their home citing lack of time to do the cooking on their own. Others state that fast foods can be packed and eaten anywhere and anytime. Nevertheless, health professionals are raising an alarm on the dangers of fast foods on the body. I have been a fan of fast food and rarely find time to cook at home. I feel that the time has come for me to change this behavior and resort to eating natural foods cooked at home.

As earlier stated, the main reason why I intend to change the behavior is that research has shown that fast foods contain some chemicals and food additives that are harmful to human health. For instance, fast foods have been associated with the increasing prevalence of cancers in the world (Schlosser 13). Schlosser reveals that cancer is the number one cause of deaths in America today, claiming many lives daily (13). Research has shown that a majority of those suffering from cancer get it from the fast foods that they consume.

It is not only cancer that is associated with fast foods. Other deadly diseases such as heart diseases, allergic reactions, and obesity among others are similarly associated with fast foods according to Schlosser (13). My goal is to stop the habit of eating fast foods completely and revert to healthy eating habits such as consuming natural foods prepared at home using healthy ingredients. I intend to change this behavior within the first one month of conditioning. This is because changing the behavior will take a lot of practice, which will have to be conducted gradually.

To accomplish the mission, I intend to apply operant conditioning and more particularly, negative reinforcement. In this respect, I will always associate fast foods with obesity, cancer and heart disease. Negative reinforcement will be applicable toward the change of behavior because it will act as a reminder on the dangers of continuing to eat fast foods that pose serious health risks to my life (Kazdin 41). This is because, in order for one to change bad behavior, he or she must first be aware of the risks or consequences of engaging in the habit and the importance of changing the behavior.

Through negative reinforcement, I will link fast foods to poor health and strive to adopt a healthy eating habit, which will certainly be good for my life in the long term. At the same time, I will impose environmental limitations by ensuring that fast foods are kept out of my reach in order to avoid the temptation to consume the foods after quitting. I certainly believe that conditioning myself in this manner will help change my eating habits. This will help me live a very healthy life free of avoidable diseases.

In order to avoid relapse, I will keep away from environments that may tempt me to consume fast foods. Work CitedKazdin, Alan E. Behavior modification in applied settings. New York, NY: Wadsworth/Thomson Learning. 2001. Print.Schlosser, Eric. Fast Food Nation: The Dark Side of the All-American Meal. New York, NY: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2001. Print.