As many of us go back to work in person it may become harder to avoid those sugary, fatty foods that are easier to escue at home.
Office lunchrooms have snack tables filled with treats from friendly coworkers, not to mention the vending machines filled with highly processed junk foods. Even workplaces with cafes often offer things like burgers and pizza among healthier options.
What happens when an employer offers less unhealthy options and smaller portion sizes? A new study looked at just that scenario.
The new randomized trial found that when employers do this their workers pick foods and beverages with fewer calories.
The study suggests that making fairly simple changes to menus in workplaces and other cafeterias could make a significant impact on the world’s obesity problem.
In a massive study, the University of Cambridge collected data from 19 workplace cafes that changed the both the type and amounts of foods they sold to 20,000 manual laborers over a six-month time period.
Changes included replacing things like cheeseburgers with something like a grilled chicken sandwich. When higher calorie items were left on menus, cafes reduced the portion size by 14%. For example, they might serve fewer fries in a high calorie meal.
These changes equated to about 12% less calories sold to employees and employees saving about 50 calories a day.