Good treats: Eating out not just for joy but also for well-being

With economic development in countries like India comes an increasing appetite to eat out, and, as a consequence, more prevalent obesity. Eating out does not have to bring joy at the cost of wellbeing. Prosperity in India does not have to lead to obesity, as it has in the United States with 62% of its people being diagnosed as clinically obese. Suggesting a balance between hedonism and personal care, in this chapter, the authors identify what motivates people, restaurant patrons in particular, to find this balance. Using research on decision-making in behavioral economics, theories of motivation and perspectives in positive psychology, they identify alternative ways for consumers to achieve this balance-and for service providers to enable them to do so. Based on the idea that good business, ethical and caring business, enables stable and growing markets, the authors advocate that restaurant managers market their businesses as providing not just treats but good treats! The recommendation, they explain, is even more pertinent for emerging economies than it is for developed economies.