That is bad news for countries whose food output was already rising less fast than their populations: according to the World Food Programme, Honduras grew 27% less food per person in 1996 than in 1980.

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Annual growth has been 2% in the past five years, less than half that of fast food in general.

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During such times, he says, Americans are more prone to travel closer to home, stay at less expensive hotels, eat at fast-food restaurants rather than fancier dine-in restaurants and plan more online trips looking for the best deals.

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For example, categories like fast food or beer rely less on strong affiliation among their users but can still tap into social currency by helping others to learn from each other (beer) or by strengthening the identification level with other patrons (fast food).

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In fast food, fillers are additives that bulk up the weight of a food with less expensive, less nutritious ingredients.

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Further afield in Seattle where chains are also now required to display calories (the practice also spread to California), a study of 37 sit-down and quick service burger, pizza, sandwich, and Tex-Mex chains in the area found fast-food entrees contained about 19 less calories only 18 months after the regulation was implemented.

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The neighborhood fast-food chain, after all, is likely to require less time and energy than a trip to the grocery store--which would be followed by standing at the stove.

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Young girls flaunting their newfound wealth in sparkling malls and fast-food restaurants, it is said, are producing a backlash of jealousy and envy from less-well-off men.

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