Eating together in the workplace has been shown to have benefits ranging from promoting more positive feelings around the workplace to improving mental health, to improving teamwork, says Martin Carraher, Professor of Food and Health Policy at University College London.
In an article published by “The Conversation” (theconversation) The Australian, Karahr said that employees in Sweden believe in the positives of this behavior, and organize a daily event called “Fika” that depends on sharing food at work, especially cakes and other sweet dishes, and they spend some time away from the office to communicate between them while eating.
Eating in the office
The author acknowledges that workplace eating habits have changed over time in many countries, including the United Kingdom; Few people now get a lunch break of less than an hour. And a survey published in 2021 – of 133 British companies – found that 6% of workers in the United Kingdom skip lunch.
Recently, the Corona (Covid-19) pandemic has clearly changed work practices, and developments such as online ordering and workplace delivery have affected what people can eat for lunch.
Karaher pointed to the benefits of group eating from its effects on nutrition, through mental health, to productivity in the workplace.
The writer emphasized that eating in the workplace is one of the factors that enhance productivity and job performance, if it is properly balanced.
He points out that the International Labor Organization conducted an analysis of eating habits around the world in 2005, and found that a poor diet or overeating in the workplace can cause productivity to decline by 20%.
Don’t wait until you feel hungry?
It is a common habit to eat only when feeling hungry, and many are unaware that the “hunger level” is very important; When you starve for a long time, your body functions weaken, and in this case, eating high-calorie foods will harm your stomach, in addition to other problems.
And people who skip some meals or eat irregularly often tend to consume foods that are high in calories, according to the “Lesti List” website (listelist) Turkish.
Starving for a long time harms your health
The site indicates that hunger has many effects on the body, including the effect on mental health in the long term, and an increased risk of chronic diseases.
If you feel hungry, you will experience anxiety and other symptoms, including:
- Difficulty concentrating.
- stomach cramps
- Feeling weak and tired.
- Dizziness and headache.
- Nausea.
- Bad mood.
- sleep problems
How do you determine the type of hunger?
According to the same site, scientists have identified 3 different types of hunger:
- Physical hunger: It is the natural urge to eat, which occurs when you do not have enough energy.
- Psychological hunger: And it is driven by emotions or as a result of a desire to feel happy.
- Opportunistic hunger: It occurs when you see food and want to eat it, and it has nothing to do with real hunger.
