Is your job making you gain weight?

According to a recent UK survey, unhappy employees are more likely to make unhealthy lunch choices. While happy workers chow down on healthier midday meals like sushi and salad.

Almost 80 per cent of the 2,000 workers surveyed said their mood in the office has a significant impact on their lunchtime food choice.

Fifty per cent of those surveyed said they choose a healthy lunch when they’re having a good day at work. But on a bad day, 54 per cent admitted to ditching salads for burgers and pizza.

The survey revealed that approximately four meals a week are selected on the basis of our mood, with the average worker devouring junk food 38 times in a year because of a bad day. In fact, 45 per cent of people admitted that the worse their mood, the more unhealthy their food choice.

Forty-five per cent of participants said their typical working lunch is fresh and healthy, while 30 per cent described their usual weekday lunches as fatty and greasy.

And not only do workers admit to eating unhealthy food, but 47 per cent said they scoff their lunch in just six minutes with at least three meals per week eaten at their desks. Meanwhile 14 per cent of those surveyed said they often skip lunch, as they feel they don't have the time to eat.

“So many of us eat our lunch hunched at our desks, in the car, or feel so busy we try to skip it entirely,” says nutritionist Brittany Kohn. “Not only does that leave you skimping on nutrients, but you risk gaining extra kilos too,"

“Our systems need nutritious food every four hours or so to run properly, but skipping an entire meal slows your metabolism so you don't burn the kJs you do take in as efficiently,” she says.

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And if your usual lunch means picking up something at the office cafeteria and wolfing it down during the walk back to your desk, you're setting yourself up for weight gain. Research shows that people who eat standing up consume 30 per cent more than those who take a seat.

Kohn suggests preparing double portions of dinner so you can bring the leftovers for lunch and setting aside time every day to enjoy your midday meal.

So give lunchtime and your waistline the respect they deserve by bringing lunch from home as home-cooked meals are generally healthier, and making the time to eat mindfully by shutting off your computer while you eat.

We're all in a rush, but surely you can carve out 15 minutes for a proper sit-down scoff sesh.