File this next segment under – wha whaaa whaaaaat!
Let’s look at an article that was published this week that has the headline: Why bringing cake into the office is ‘as bad for workers as passive smoking’
It reads: An international watchdog has found bringing food into the workplace is as harmful to colleagues as passive smoking.
Professor Susan Jebb, chairwoman of the UK’s Food Standards Agency, has argued that passive smoke inflicts harm on others ‘and exactly the same is true of food’.
Prof. Jebb said that bringing in cakes and other junk food encourages poor eating habits.
‘If nobody brought in cakes into the office, I would not eat cakes in the day, but because people do bring cakes in, I eat them.
‘Now, OK, I have made a choice, but people were making a choice to go into a smoky pub.’
She continues; “With smoking, after a very long time, we have got to a place where we understand that individuals have to make some effort but that we can make their efforts more successful by having a supportive environment.’
‘But we still don’t feel like that about food.’ – Wha whaaa whaaaaat!
Look love, I see the long bow you’re trying to pull and aim here, but no, no, no, no, no, no!
Put the fork down, don’t eat the cake, just because it is there in front of you downs’t mean you have to eat it, it’s this little thing called… oh what is it? WILLPOWER!
Comparing passive smoking and junk food consumption is a bit of a stretch, and I am not the only one who thinks that Senior dietitian at Nutrition Australia ACT, Leanne Elliston, has come out criticising the opinion of Professor Susan Jebb, chairwoman of the UK’s Food Standards Agency.
Of course, should we bring or should the workplace bring healthy options to celebrations alongside cake… yes! Should we like Prof. Jebb says get to a place where we make some effort to having a more supportive environment promoting healthy lifestyle! Yes, but the junk food to passive smoking link? Close but no cigar! Pun intended.
It’s not like workplaces, especially corporate offices haven’t been doing this for years, my experience of the corporate work force, most places had plenty fruit bowls for staff to snack on.
I think a line has to be drawn when it comes to work places having to take responsibility for personal choice, it’s not like someone is going to get fired for not having a slice of cake at Martha’s work place birthday party!
Personal responsibly is what should be linked to junk food being bought into the work place, not cigarettes and passive smoking!
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