We all relish the arrival of our lunch break. Whether we use the opportunity to pop to the shops for a sandwich or taking a walk to blow away the cobwebs, it is one of the few opportunities we get in the working day to put upcoming tasks out of our minds and simply relax.
However, for several months now there has been a growing concern among health professionals that the average Briton is no longer putting their wellbeing above their job, with millions of us choosing to work through our lunch break and stay increasingly later at the office after our working hours have ended.
This, they claim, is leading to a huge increase in cases of depression and stress related illnesses in the workplace.
Last week, Health Minister Anna Soubry voiced her concern at the number of office workers eating their lunch at their desks, calling the practice “disgusting.” She believes that, rather than wolfing down a paltry sandwich over the computer keyboard, workers should take advantage of their lunch break by taking time over their meals and savouring every mouthful.
Taking time away from your desk can have a multitude of good effects upon your health. Besides reducing the likelihood of developing back pain due to poor posture when hunched over a keyboard, stepping out of the office for a few minutes can actually provide your brain with the boost it needs to think creatively throughout the rest of the day.
Furthermore, employees can use the lunch break to discuss life outside the office and bond with their colleagues, thus improving morale and productivity.
Ms Soubry revealed that, at her constituency office in Nottingham, she attempts to make members of staff take time away from their desks during the lunch break to promote a healthy lifestyle.
She said; “It’s disgusting eating over a keyboard. A proper lunch break allows you time to chill out, get your head back together and enjoy what you’re eating.”
There has been much focus on the eating habits of office workers recently, as multiple consumer surveys have found “healthy” lunches bought in stores by workplaces often contain more calories than the average evening meal.
According to Ms Soubry, this is just another reason why workers should be focusing on what they put into their bodies. Our nation’s obsession with celebrity chefs is something of a puzzle to her, especially as so few choose to cook.
She added; “We are a weird nation. We consume television programmes about cooking, all the books, but we do not as a nation, any more, cook.”
Do you choose to prepare a healthy, balanced meal and eat it away from your desk during the day, or is grabbing a sandwich to eat in front of the screen simply more convenient?
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