Newsmakers

Buy food with cash — and eat better!

As the global economy enters another season of uncertainty, the myriad effects of how consumers spend their money — on what and why — remains a conundrum and popular news topic. Johnson’s Manoj Thomas, professor of marketing, conducted research looking at the correlation between method of payment (debit/credit card or cash) and what shoppers purchase at the grocery store. His research that found a significant increase in “junk food” purchases by those using plastic versus cash has had many in the press — from the Huffington Post ( “Impulse buying: 3 ways to outsmart it,” May 28) and Scientific American (“Paying in cash keeps us healthy,” June 25) to countless local and regional columnists and bloggers — asking: Is it any coincidence that Americans’ waistlines have been expanding along with their use of plastic over cash? Thomas thinks not!