According to a 2007 Harris Interactive
poll, 58 percent of employees in the
U.S. said their companies were “very active” or “somewhat active” in offering
employees information about exercise and
healthy eating. However, 75 percent also said
that the vending machines where they work
mostly contain junk food, such as chips,
cookies and candy bars.
When a company sends mixed messages
like this to its employees, it greatly diminishes the chances the employees will actually
follow a healthy eating regimen. The work-place must reinforce healthy eating by offering employees a wide variety of food choices.
“It’s not that a company needs to impose a
regimen of healthy eating on its work force,”
says Sandra Carpenter, MS, Med, LDN, RD,
CDE, BC-ADM, CNSD, the weight management/nutrition program manager at UPMC
Health Plan. “Any healthy eating program initiated at work should be voluntary, but
employers also have to understand that what
happens in the workplace can go a long way
toward leading people toward making more
healthy choices.”
Smart Business spoke with Carpenter
about the importance of healthy eating.
Why is healthy eating a concern in the work-place?
According to a 2007 survey by Nationwide
Better Health, 72 percent of employees eat an
unhealthy snack (chips, candy, etc.) at work
at least once a week, 27 percent eat an
unhealthy snack three or more times a week,
and 22 percent of workers ages 18 to 27 eat
one more than five times a week.
Why should an employer be concerned about
healthy eating in the workplace?
A 2008 survey by Kronos Optimal Health
shows that 65 percent of all employees are
either overweight or obese. Obesity has been
estimated to cost U.S. companies about $13
billion each year. But, the U.S. Department of
Health and Human Services contends that
companies can save from $1.49 to $4.91 for
every dollar spent on health promotion and
disease management programs.
There are many positives that can result
from encouraging your employees to eat healthy and adopt a more active lifestyle.
These positives not only benefit the employees’ overall health but also help the employer’s bottom line because healthy employees
cost employers much less. Healthy eating
helps reduce the risk of heart disease,
improves energy levels, reduces anxiety and
stress, and leads to a higher self-esteem.
Historically, the workplace has been a
place where unhealthy food options (primarily from vending machines) have dominated. When employees do not have healthy
choices available to them, it is less likely that
they will follow healthy eating and snacking
habits. By improving the offerings, you
improve your employees’ chances of eating
healthier at all times.
How can an employer determine what
healthy foods to offer employees?
If you are not sure about whether a certain
food is healthy, you should check the
Nutrition Facts label to identify calories, fat
content and sodium content in each serving.
Most Americans need only 40 to 60 grams of
fat each day and should avoid saturated fat
and trans fats.
Employers should look for foods with specific labels. Foods labeled as ‘low sodium’
contain no more than 140 milligrams (mg) of
sodium per serving. Most Americans eat far
more than the 2,300 mg sodium limit recommended by the 2005 U.S. Dietary Guidelines
for Americans and The National High Blood
Pressure Education Program. Most foods
containing more than 400 mg of sodium per
serving should be avoided. Foods with at
least two grams of dietary fiber are considered good sources of fiber.
How do you recommend employees eat
healthy snacks at work?
As an alternative to vending machine
snacks, such as potato chips (303 calories,
19.6 fat grams), why not have healthier
snacks available at your desk? Trail mix, nuts
or seeds, dried fruit, high-fiber and low-fat
crackers, low-calorie hot chocolate, or even
some granola bars or breakfast cereals are
fine. If you wish, you can bring in some perishable snacks, such as low-fat yogurt with
fruit or low-fat cottage cheese with fruit.
Beverages are often overlooked when it
comes to making healthy choices. Often
employees reach for soft drinks that contain
high amounts of caffeine and are high in calories. Herbal tea, diet soda, mineral water and
flavored water are good choices. Juices may
contain sugar but those that are 100 percent
fruit juice are healthy.
How does one introduce healthier food choices to employees?
If your meetings require food, look to avoid
serving less-than-healthy foods. For instance,
instead of doughnuts or pastries, you could
substitute whole-grain mini bagels or low-fat
bran or fruit muffins. Offering diet drinks,
water and small quantities of 100 percent
fruit juice instead of regular soda is another
healthy alternative.
Vending machines should also include
healthy choices. Fresh or dried fruits are
great options, along with low-calorie, low-fat
healthy snacks, such as granola bars, 100 percent juices, pretzels, nuts, seeds, cereal boxes
and yogurt.
SANDRA CARPENTER, MS, Med, LDN, RD, CDE, BC-ADM, CNSD, is the weight management/nutrition program manager at UPMC
Health Plan. Reach her at (412) 454-7662 or [email protected].
