Taking (Away) The Cake!

It turns out that you can’t have your cake and eat it, particularly not if you’re working in an office. Office workers of the UK are probably uniting with groans of dismay now thanks to a BBC article that has denounced the office tradition of cake.

So why has the humble cake suddenly become demonised in the workplace? Well speaking at the Royal College of Surgeons annual dinner for dentists, Professor Nigel Hunt proclaimed that the ‘cake culture’ of the office is helping to fuel the UK’s obesity and dental problems.

Cake Or Health?

They look delicious but are very unhealthy

The typical modern office workplace has become rather infamous for not being conducive to losing weight. Most people will find themselves spending between 6-8 hours a day simply sat down, which obviously does not help when you’re trying to lose weight.

So it’s understandable then that the culture of bringing in cake as a reward or for a celebration (or maybe sometimes just a sneaky snack) can wreak havoc on people’s attempts to diet and lose weight. But there’s also the issues involving dental problems, which to be honest, most people probably don’t think of.

A Healthier Snack

Attempts to reduce sugar intake are becoming more popular lately, after all the government is going to introduce a sugar tax on the soft drinks industry. This will attempt to encourage people to find healthier alternatives along with the manufacturers to introduce healthier alternatives.

Cakes contain lots of sugar which, while understandably makes them tasty, also makes them incredibly unhealthy. So how does Professor Hunt think we should combat the ‘cake culture’ infiltrating the workplace?

Well an idea should be that instead of rewarding staff with cake, or other sweets, for good work they should instead be rewarded with fruit, nuts or cheese. While that sounds really healthy, we’re not entirely sure how receptive people would be to this in reality.

It’s Not All Fruit And Nuts

There are healthier options to eat

Don’t fear though! While he advises that we shouldn’t eat cake as snacks or as rewards in the office, Professor Hunt is not advocating the complete removal of cake. Instead we should just consider eating it in smaller quantities and perhaps waiting until lunch to consume it.

Office workers can now breathe a sigh of relief, but next time you see that Victoria sponge staring at you in the shop…it might be advisable to direct yourself to the fruit instead.