Your Co-Workers Are Making You Fat
April Daniels Hussar,SELF magazine
A slice of birthday cake here, a group margarita excursion there ... are your co-workers deliberately trying to fatten you up? Probably not, but it sure feels like it sometimes! What's a would-be healthy gal to do?
"Your work environment can impact your waistline," Angela Ginn, registered dietitian and national spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, tells HealthySELF. Ginn says your co-workers can influence your food choices and even the quantity of food you eat!
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Of course, this isn't a huge surprise -- the people you spend time with in all aspects of your life can have an effect on your weight, as Ginn points out. "One study out of the University of British Columbia reports people eat 1.5 times more in the company of a thin person who eats a lot than in the company of an overweight person," says Ginn. "And research from Harvard Medical School suggests that your risk of becoming obese increases 20 percent if a friend of a friend is also obese."
When it comes to the office, your co-workers are your peers, and you might even spend more time with them than anyone else. Ideally, just as in your regular life, you'll find friends with the same common goals of a healthy lifestyle so you can support each other. If that doesn't seem to be working for you at the office, here are 4 of the most common co-worker weight traps and Ginn's advice on how deal with them:
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1. Mini-party! Is your office constantly celebrating birthdays and other special occasions? One option, says Ginn, is to take charge of the baking or dessert-ordering duties and ensure there are just enough cupcakes for the staff to enjoy, one per person. Better yet -- suggest creating unique birthday presents with the money that would have been used for the cake, such as movie tickets or a gift card to the birthday girl's favorite store.
2. Candy jars of temptation. If you work in one of those offices where everyone has a treat to offer on her desk, go ahead and join in the fun -- but fill your candy jars with sugarless gum in dessert flavors or dried fruit with nuts.
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3. Catered meetings. Request healthier food options, such as a garden salad instead of a Caesar, or protein options that are baked, broiled, roasted or grilled instead of fried. For dessert, choose fruit instead of one of those monstrous cookies and request water to drink instead of soda.
4. Peer pressure! Co-workers who try to tempt you even though they know you're dieting, or who try to make you feel silly or even guilty for trying to stay healthy, can be the biggest stumbling blocks to staying fit at the office. "Don't be a victim to peer pressure," says Ginn, who says you should express your concerns to the "diet saboteur" in an honest and non-threatening way. Another technique, if you're afraid of hurting the feelings your co-worker who loves to bring in homemade baked goods, is to offer to eat just a taste, or to pack a serving up for "later."
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