Food for thought: How influential do you think your environment is on your
waistline?
Commercials and marketing are well known to influence our grocery purchases.
Drive past a restaurant at dinnertime and wait for your mouth to water
if you need proof. You may find yourself out of self-control and in the
drive-thru line. The smells and sight of the foods we are exposed to through
our day can absolutely influence our health, waistline and can derail
the strongest of wills.
Did you know that America’s vending machine industry earned $21.6
billion last year, according to
Vending Watch magazine. There are 7.1 million vending machines in the United States (the most
in the world) and 100 million Americans use them each day, the National
Automatic Merchandising Association reports. Approximately 55.1% of vending
machines are located in office or manufacturing buildings.
With that in mind, are you exposed daily to the temptation of a vending
machine, nearby fast food or candy jars during your day? And how is that
exposure, or your environment, affecting your will power and health? Would
you think about junk food if you did not walk past it regularly at work?
Now that you are thinking about the 100 million times vending machines
are raided daily, try the following tips to eat well at work or when faced
with unwanted temptations.
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Avoid the temptation. Stay away from vending machines, break rooms with pizza, cake and candy
jars. Limit your exposure.
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Eat breakfast. Going to work hungry will not promote weight loss, but may endanger your
co-workers. (Hunger also affects work performance)
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Ask your co-workers and family for support. Create accountability, and influence others to eat well also.
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Bring your own food. You will be more likely to bring what you have, rather than spend money.
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Be a creature of habit. Eating the same thing is easier on your budget and pants size than avoiding
coffee shops and quick shops.
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Leave your money at home, or in the car. If you don’t have it, you can’t spend it.
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Offer substitutions. If you have a candy jar, replace it with fruit. Similar to, “build
it and they will come,” strawberries will be eaten up, just like candy!
Have Questions?
Campbell County Health's
Wellness works to reduce health risks and promote overall wellness among employee
groups and individuals across the northeastern Wyoming region. To learn
more about Wellness, please visit
www.cchwyo.org/Wellness or call 307.688.8051.
Rachel Wilde, PBT, CPT, MA, works at CCH Wellness as a Technician and Phlebotomist