Consumption Patterns and the Economy Introduction To better understand trends in consumption patterns, you must first understand the basic principles of economics. For the purposes of this assignment I chose an article from the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition that comments on the recent increase in body weight and food consumption patterns of today's children. This article will define terms such as economics, microeconomics, law of supply, law of demand and identify the factors that lead to a change in supply and a change in demand. This article will also summarize the article and explain the basis of the trends in consumption patterns discussed in the article and describe what has happened to change the consumption patterns of individuals during their childhood. EconomicsEconomics is the study of how human beings coordinate their wants and desires, given decision-making mechanisms, social mores, and the political reality of societies” (Colander, 2008). Economics is the science that deals with the production and distribution of products, as well as the consumption of those products. It also studies normal human behavior in an attempt to satisfy the desires and needs of the individual. Alfred Marshall, author of The Principles of Economics, explained it best when he defined economics as: “So on the one hand there is the study of wealth; and on the other, and more important aspect, a part of the study of man" (Investopedia, 2009). Microeconomics Microeconomics is one of the branches of economics that analyzes market behavior and focuses on understanding the decision-making process of companies . like families. Microeconomics “is the study of individual choices and how that choice is influenced by… half of article……lander, DC (2008). Economics (7th ed.). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Irwin.St. Onge, M. P., Keller, K. L., & Heymsfield, S. B. (2003, December 2003). Changes in food consumption patterns in childhood: cause for concern in light of increasing body weight. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 78, no. 6, 1068-1073. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/full/78/6/1068Investopedia, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from http://www.investopedia.com/university/ economics/economics3.aspInvestopedia, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from, http://www.investopedia.com/terms/m/microeconomics.aspInvestopedia, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from, http://www . investopedia.com/search/searchresults.aspx?q=law+of+supplyInvestopedia, 2009. Retrieved January 11, 2009, from http://www.investopedia.com/terms/l/lawofdemand.asp