Having cake at the workplace to celebrate a colleague’s birthdays, engagement or wedding is a danger to health, argued Prof Nigel Hunt, a senior dentist.
One of the faculty members of Dental Surgery, at the Royal College of Surgeons, Hunt said, “Cake culture” is fuelling obesity and dental problems badly.
He was speaking at the organisation’s annual dinner for dentists and said it is the temptation at the office that stops people from losing weight.
Hunt insisted that staff and colleagues should be given nut, fruit or cheese instead of a calorie-filled cake.
“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,” he said.
Every year, approximately 65,000 people get hospital treatment for tooth decay.
Prof Hunt said, “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?”
The good news is, Hunt does not believe in office cake ban. He actually recommends that it should be consumed in smaller quantities and only with lunch.
