Our work desks are STILL making us fat

Science has just proven what we’ve suspected all along that sitting at a desk all day could be making us fat.

According to a new study women who work in an office are consuming a staggering 100,000 extra calories, or 50 days worth of food, in snacks every year – which can add up to a terrifying 12kgs in weight gain. Yikes!

The research, conducted by Kallø, quizzed 1,000 women who work in offices and revealed that on a typical working day women are indulging in at least three snacks, which adds up to almost 500 calories.

Chips were named as the top achilles heel of female workers, with an average of 135 bags eaten at work annually and 45 per cent of those surveyed admitting to having a personal ‘stash’ of them in the office.

Unsurprisingly biscuits were also a favourite desk snack with 39 per cent admitting to hiding away packets of biscuits and the average woman dipping 135 biscuits in their tea every year.

Office ‘cake culture’ likely has a role to play in the ninety slices of cake (yes that’s NINETY!) women are wolfing down each year.

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And biscuits and cake aren’t the only treats female office workers are consuming, the study also revealed we’re indulging our sweet tooth by ploughing through 90 packets of sweets and 45 doughnuts (who can resist a Krispy Kreme?) throughout the working year.

But rather than holding our hands up to the desk-time snacking, it seems many women are shifting the blame with one in seven female employees blaming their office indulgence on their Bake-off-wannabe colleague bringing in home-made treats.

Just over a fifth (21 per cent) of female workers confess they have absolutely no willpower when it comes to office treats, while three in ten say they eat the food purely because it’s there. We hear ya!

Women also cited being bored, tired or stressed as common reasons for them to eat more in the office, as a reason for getting their snack on.

Even the office ‘healthistas’ who wouldn’t dream of having cake for elevenses might want to take note as ‘healthy’ snacks also have a role to play.

The survey revealed that so-called ‘low fat’ treats are actually adding to that yearly calorific total, with the average female employee consuming 45 packets of high-fat nuts and another 45 bags of sugary dried fruits, every year.

The most popular times to reach for a snack are 10.30am and 3.30pm, with 48 per cent of women saying they are always too hungry to wait until lunch.

Women also admitted to supping sugary coffees like mochas and lattes, fizzy drinks and energy drinks to help get them through the day.

Unsurprisingly, Friday is the day we’re most likely to give in to the lure of sugary treats, followed by Mondays, when we need a post-weekend pick-me up.

On the upside women are trying to make healthy choices with 47 per cent of respondents reaching for fruit as much as possible to keep hunger at bay – with the typical employee enjoying 180 pieces of fruit over the course of a working year.

Commenting on the findings Gill Green, marketing director at Kallø said: “Women are consuming thousands of extra calories a week through the snacks they eat.”

“So we’re launching our Snack Swap campaign to show them that through some simple snack swaps they can drastically reduce the number of calories they consume without giving up the snacks altogether.”

“Life isn’t about being free from; it’s about being free to,” she continues. “We don’t think eating sensibly has to mean saying no to all the things you love. Instead, by making intelligent food choices, life is about what you can, not what you can’t have.”

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