Does this job make me look fat?

We can now count obesity among the harmful side effects of the lousy economy and stressed-out working conditions. A study by the University of Rochester Medical Center focused on more than 2,700 employees of a large manufacturing facility in upstate New York – an employer that, like many others throughout the country, has experienced layoffs and its fair share of recessionary fallout.

The study revealed that chronic job stress, combined with lack of physical exercise, is a big contributor to weight gain. Alarmingly so. In the case of this particular study, up to 75 percent of the employees were overweight or obese. (Most of the study participants were middle-aged, white, married, highly educated (college degree or more), relatively well-paid (earning more than $60,000 a year), with an average of almost 22 years at the company.)

Stress, whether it’s coming from home, work, the daily commute and anything in between, hurts our health directly and indirectly. Directly, it affects the neuroendocrine system and can lead to the unfortunate storage of abdominal fat. Indirectly, it is linked to bad habits like scarfing down on double-fudge brownies and nachos, or plopping down on a cushy chair instead of hitting the gym.

For the New York workers, a typical evening after a day of stressful meetings and sitting at their computers was “vegging out” in front of the TV for two or more hours. During times of staff cuts, the vending machines were quickly cleared of the snacks highest in fat and calories. And certain workers claimed they didn’t take the time to eat well or exercise at lunch because they were afraid to leave their desks for too long.

"In a poor economy, companies should take care of the people who survive layoffs and end up staying in stressful jobs," says Diana Fernandez, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the URMC Department of Community and Preventive Medicine. "It is important to focus on strengthening wellness programs to provide good nutrition, ways to deal with job demands, and more opportunities for physical activity that are built into the regular workday without penalty." (ScienceDaily)

The concern, of course, is that this upstate New York facility reflects the health of most American workplaces.

So what can you do to discourage your employees from “stress eating” on the job, de-prioritizing their fitness goals and feeling burned out?

Wellness programs that support healthy eating (and back it up with better snack alternatives at the cafeteria, food carts and vending machines) are a good start, as are walking programs, discounted gym memberships and onsite, stress-reduction workshops. Good health isn’t something you shut off at the start of another hectic workday. Healthier lifestyles should be encouraged at work, for the benefit of both the employer and the employee.

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Limited healthy snack options test workers’ waistlines

Does this job make me look fat?

Develop a worksite obesity prevention program with new, free CDC tool

As a follow-up to our Monday post on how a lack of healthy snacks in the office are putting workers’ waistlines to the test, I wanted to share a new resource for businesses wanting to enhance their wellness program this year.

Yesterday, Ann Bares at Compensation Force spotlighted LEAN Works, a new online resource to help employers determine how much obesity costs their business each year.

LEAN Works is a new web-based resource developed by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) full of completely free interactive tools and evidence-based resources to help any organization develop an effective worksite obesity prevention and control program.

The site features an obesity cost calculator to estimate how much obesity is costing your company and how much you could save by using different workplace interventions.

LEAN Works also includes example presentations to help pitch your wellness program within your organization, tools to help collect employees’ baseline health information, workplace health audits and employee interest surveys.

Visit the CDC’s LEAN Works! Leading Employees to Activity and Nutrition.

Develop a worksite obesity prevention program with new, free CDC tool

Limited healthy snack options test workers’ waistlines

Our days are busy, breaks are short and fitting a well-balanced meal in at work can be a tough job. For many of us, eating at work is typically done on the go and we’ve memorized our favorite vending machine combination that will curb our hunger or give us a quick, sugary boost.

Snacking at work is almost a fact of life. It’s going to happen, but unfortunately the most popular snacks at work tend to be unhealthy – full of sugar, fat, salt and oil.

Even for those watching their waistlines, unhealthy office snacks can derail even the strictest diet, according to a recent survey on workplace eating habits.

About two out of three employees find it challenging to eat healthy at work, reveals the Peapod Biz Bites Survey sponsored by Peapod Business Delivery. Only 7% of respondents claimed to eat healthier in the office than at home.

"One of the best ways to support healthy lifestyles in the workplace is also one of the easiest," said Cathy Leman, a Chicago-area registered dietitian and certified personal trainer. "When you control the environment that you spend eight-plus hours per day in, you automatically set yourself up for success. That means stocking the break room with healthy, accessible snack foods.” (Press release)

Almost half of employees (47%) surveyed cite having too many tempting unhealthy snack options at work as the top reason they’re not eating healthy at work. Less than one-third (28%) of employees said their workplaces offer enough healthy snack options to keep them satisfied.

What employees want most in the office – fresh produce. However, only 36% of companies provide fresh fruit and vegetables for their employees on a regular basis.

Top nutritionists at WebMD warn against “desktop dining” and unhealthy snacking habits because they hold potentially disastrous health effects. Nutritionists advise putting aside work if possible and take a few minutes to enjoy your food and choose healthy workplace snacks.

“Katherine Tallmadge, a registered dietitian and spokeswoman for the American Dietetic Association, tells her clients to snack up to three times a day but to limit calories to 100-200 calories for each snack.

"I like to recommend snacks that provide a little carbohydrate, protein, and a small amount of fat, if any," she says. (WebMD)

Tallmadge suggests creating a snacking strategy and to have a plan. Keep healthy snack foods at your desk for times when you need a nutritional boost, but may not have the time to eat a full meal.

Keep some of these healthy snack foods handy:

• Trail mix and/or dried fruit and nuts
• Instant oatmeal packets (low sugar)
• Tuna salad kits
• Higher-fiber, lower-fat crackers
• Low-fat yogurt
• Reduced-fat cheese

How do you ensure you’re snacking healthy at work? Does your office provide fresh produce or healthy vending machine snacks? Leave a comment and let us know how well you’re able to snack healthy in your workplace.

Limited healthy snack options test workers’ waistlines