MADISON, WI — A new study led by Yash Babar, assistant professor of operations and information management at the Wisconsin School of Business, finds that the rise of online food delivery platforms like Grubhub, UberEats, and DoorDash is changing the way Americans eat at home, with measurable impacts on health.
The research reveals:
- Less home cooking: Households spend significantly less time preparing meals at home when delivery services are available.
- Potential health effects: Reduced cooking is associated with higher population-level BMI, suggesting that delivery platforms may be influencing physiological outcomes.
- Context matters: The impact varies depending on local restaurant density, household composition (such as number of children), when people cook, and economic conditions.
“This isn’t just about the convenience of delivery or pickup over dining in restaurants. It’s about how technology is reshaping daily routines like cooking and eating out, with ripple effects for public health,” said Babar.
The study, which analyzed Grubhub’s phased entry into U.S. counties between 2005 and 2019, highlights the broader implications of the sharing economy on consumer behavior and well-being.
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