Beware the office cake says Dean
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- Published: Monday, 27 June 2016 07:58
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Having cake at work to celebrate colleagues' birthdays, engagements or just surviving the week is a danger to health, Prof Nigel Hunt, Dean of the Faculty of Dental Surgery, at the Royal College of Surgeons, says and ‘cake culture’ is fuelling obesity and dental problems. At their annual dinner for dentists, he will say workplace temptation stops people losing weight and staff should be rewarded with fruit, nuts or cheese instead.
In the speech, Prof Hunt says: "Managers want to reward staff for their efforts, colleagues want to celebrate special occasions, and workers want to bring back a gift from their holidays. But for many people the workplace is now the primary site of their sugar intake and is contributing to the current obesity epidemic and poor oral health."
Nearly 65,000 adults every year need hospital treatment for tooth decay, he says. "Cake culture also poses difficulties for those who are trying their hardest to lose weight or become healthier - how many of us have begun such diets only to cave in to the temptation of the doughnuts, cookies or the triple chocolate biscuits?"
While he does not believe office cake should be banned, he will say it should be purchased in smaller quantities and consumed only with lunch. At the dinner, which is being rounded off with mint panna cotta, British strawberries and chocolate soil, Prof Hunt will say: "Ideally office workers should consider other alternatives altogether like fruit platters, nuts, or cheese. Responsible employers should take a lead and avoid such snacks in meetings."
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