Women can put on almost a stone in their first year of working in an office due to snacking

Snacking to blame for weight gain

A study has revealed that women can put on almost a stone in their first year of working in an office.

The survey of 2000 office workers (1,161 women and 839 men), carried out by OnePoll for food company Wonderful Pistachios, found the average weight gain is 11lbs.

Snacking is partly to blame, with two thirds of women going to work with good intentions, only to be tempted by food from colleagues or the office vending machine.

Most women don't even make it through the first hour of an average working day, with 9.58am found to be the time most workers cave in to a snack.

Only less than two per cent of women succeed in only eating healthy snacks every week, with four in ten at the other end of the spectrum saying they indulge in at least two unhealthy snacking sessions every working day.

Six out of ten workers claim snacking improves productivity, while one in seven say having a snack is the highlight of their working day.

Other factors causing weight gain include eating two or more main meals at desks, boredom, lack of healthy snack options and a food obsessed office culture.

One in six women say their colleagues talk about food on a regular basis, with the average experiencing more than 23 minutes of food-related conversation everyday.

Almost a fifth admitted to buying treats in order to gain popularity with their boss or colleagues.

Frederik Noben, brand manager at Wonderful Pistachios, said: 'Snacking will always be a part of office life and the results reinforce just how much we rely on snacks to keep us going.

'But being prepared for the 10am craving and beyond with healthy snacks brought in from home will help keep those unwelcome pounds at bay.'

Do you find you snack a lot at work, or are you able to keep eating healthily despite office temptations? Let us know in the comments below.

LATEST HEALTH NEWS