At some point in time we have all said there is never enough time in the workday, right? So we try to save time by having a cup of coffee for breakfast while we are on the go, a quick bite for lunch at your desk, or snack in between meetings and emails. You may feel like you are saving time and being more productive, but you may be negatively affecting your company’s health along with your own.
A survey of workplace eating habits conducted by the American Dietetic Association and the ConAgra Foods Foundation showed that as work hours increasingly extend past the standard dinner hour, many employees hunger for after-hour meal solutions. Thirty-percent of workers said they head for office vending machines for snacks, and 20 percent say they wander the office looking for foods left over from meetings or office celebrations. Whether you eat left over cake form your co-worker John’s birthday or something from E11 of the vending machine, these options are mostly high-sugar, high-fat snacks with little nutritional value.
Conditions such as high blood pressure and high cholesterol are related to diet and can lead to more serious illnesses such as heart disease. A recent survey showed that employees with high blood pressure miss 67 percent more work than their healthier colleagues. Eating habits are influenced by personal choice, but they are also influenced by our surroundings. So maybe we can learn something from our co-workers other than how to format a word document.
There are many strategies employers can use to promote healthy eating in the work place:
- Raise Awareness: provide information needed to make healthy choices such as health fairs, display booths with pamphlets, healthy newsletters, or offer on-site health professionals to conduct lunch-n- learn sessions
- Skill Building: monthly potlucks that encourage heart healthy recipes, set goals to eat healthy
- Environmental Support: healthy food and beverage options in cafeteria and vending machines, provide a microwave and refrigerator to encourage employees to bring their own food, provide healthy food options at staff meetings
It is common for employees to eat one or more meals or snacks at work. At little or no cost to the employer, it makes sense to promote healthy eating in the workplace. More and more research is starting to show that work place nutrition programs can reduce employee healthcare costs, disability and turnover.
