Scarfing Snacks in the Office

Diet & Nutrition

Catered meetings, donuts in the office kitchen, and sugary vending machine snacks could be expanding the waistlines of American employees, according to a new study by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Researchers asked more than 5,000 employees across the U.S. about the food and drink they bought at work or got for free in common rooms, meetings, or social events. Nearly a quarter of participants obtained food at work at least once a week, each consuming an average of 1,300 calories a week—more than half the recommended daily calorie intake for the average adult. Most of the food was high in added sugar—cookies, brownies, pizza, and cakes were among the most commonly offered munchies—and more than 70 percent of the calories consumed in the office came from freebies. To change employees’ habits, study co-author Stephen Onufrak tells ABCNews.com, companies should “encourage healthier foods at meetings and events, especially when the employer is providing free food to employees.”