January 5, 2017 by admin

‘Workplace cake culture’ may fuel obesity risk

London

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

It may be a case of managers wanting to reward staff, colleagues wanting to celebrate or people bringing presents back from their holidays that sees sugary snacks going into the workplace, said Professor Nigel Hunt, dean Faculty of Dental Surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons in the UK.

However, it was detrimental to employees’ health and they should make a New Year’s resolution to “combat cake culture” 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,” he said.

However, 2016 Great British Bake Off runner-up Jane Beedle said that cake could “bring joy to the office”.

“I don’t think a little bit of homemade cake is going to kill anybody,” Beedle told BBC Radio 2.

The Faculty of Dental Surgery has released tips to cut down on sugar consumption in 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, keeping a “sugar schedule” to limit sugar intake and thinking about where sweet treats are positioned.