The Factors that Make the Food Consumption Structure Change

The purpose of this study is to consider how the factors such as income, price, time etc. have brought the changes in the food consumption structure in Japan. What I wish to show in this paper is to consider how the food consumption structure will be changed, when the income rises, the relative price changes, and the time spent of housework changes. It is needless to say that consumer equilibrium occurs where the budget line is tangent to an indifference curve. Assuming the recommended dietary allowances are taken, luxuries will be more chosen than used to be by the rise in income. Namely the upgrading in the eating habits is progressing in connection with the rise in income. If the opportunity cost of the housework is taken into the relative price, the proceeded and cooked food will be more chosen than non-proceeded food when the opportunity cost of the housework rises. In other words, the rise in the opportunity cost of the houseowrk will lead to the simplifying and the exteriorizing in the eating habit. When a wage rate rises, a working housewife will spend the less time for the housework. As the result of this, the simplifying and the exteriorizing in the eating habit will progress. The same may be said in case of a full-time housewife. The rise in a wage rate leads to progress the simplifying and the exteriorizing in the eating habit. Because the rise in a wage rate will motivate her starting work, and the time spent of the housework will decrease