Cake culture at work causing obesity

Sharing sweet treats at workplace may be contributing to several health problemssuch as obesity and poor oral hygiene, experts in the UK have warned.

It may be managers wanting to reward staff, colleagues wanting to celebrate, or people bringing presents back from their holidays, but sugary snacks at the workplace are detrimental to employees’ health, said Professor Nigel Hunt, dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in the UK. “Combatting cake culture” should be people’s new year resolution in 2017, he said.

“While these sweet treats might be well meaning, they are also contributing to the current obesity epidemic and poor oral health,” Hunt said, “We need a culture change in offices and other workplaces that encourages healthy eating and helps workers avoid caving in to sweet temptations such as cakes, sweets and biscuits.”

The Faculty of Dental Surgery has released tips to cut down on sugar consumption at the workplace by considering low-sugar alternatives and reducing portion sizes. It advises people to avoid snacking and keeping sugar as a lunch-time treat, maintaining a “sugar schedule” to limit intake.