It’s been reported that 67 percent of office staff eat their lunch at their desk. While many of us think working through our lunch break will impress our boss, it certainly won’t impress the health gods. That’s because staying seated over lunch time and chowing down on your meal can have a negative effect on your body, even if the foods you are eating are all the right ones.
Cancel lunch plans at your desk today. Credit: Cover Media
Here are three reasons why you should grab a colleague and have lunch away from your desk today:
You’re at risk of overeating
Like when you sit in front of the TV eating your evening meal, sitting at your desk and clicking away through your spreadsheets can mean you don’t realise how much you have eaten until it’s too late. When you are preoccupied, your body and brain don't properly process the amount of food you consume. As a result, the hormone leptin is often late in signalling to the brain that it's time to stop eating, meaning you take in more calories than you need to feel satisfied.
You sit longer
Obviously, eating at your desk means you sit for longer and unfortunately the walk to and from the office kitchen doesn’t count as exercise. So try to take your lunch break elsewhere, the local park, or even going down to the work canteen. Not only will your brain get a rest from work talk, but you’ll be getting some exercise and will be seen as a social soul, not a work hermit.
You eat unhealthy food
Eating in front of your computer can also lead to you making poorer food choices. A survey from Forza Supplements found that people who sit at their desk for lunch are more apt to consume fattening foods all day long. That means less-healthy choices at lunch and more trips to the vending machine later in the day. That's hundreds of extra calories your body just doesn’t need. © Cover Media