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A new study suggests that food consumed at workplaces in the United States, whether purchased in cafeterias or made available to employees free of charge, is generally unhealthy.
A survey of what working adults ate for a week revealed that one in four people were given work one or more times, and that it was usually high in calories, salt, in fats and sugar.
These treats included pizzas, soft drinks, cookies, brownies, cakes, pies and sweets.
They added an average of nearly 1,300 calories a week, report the study's authors in the Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Lead author of the study, Stephen Onufrak, a researcher in the Obesity Prevention and Control Branch of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta, Georgia, said: "The majority of this information does not come from cafeterias or vending machines, but are offered for free at meetings and events, which surprised us. "
The findings are drawn from a representative sample of 5,200 adults employed nationwide, who participated in a survey conducted by the US Department of Agriculture in 2012-2013, which asked what people ate for a period of seven days.
They found that 23% of workers got food at work during the week, including 17% for free food and 9% for food.
Soft drinks, sandwiches, fries, pastries, pizzas and sweets are among the main contributors to the number of calories.
According to a standard known as the Healthy Eating Index (HEI) of 2010, foods obtained in the workplace earned an average score of 48.6, or about the average grade obtained at the time of the year. Analysis of menu items in fast food restaurants, notes the study team.
Higher education institutions evaluate types of foods according to their health status. Whole grains, whole fruits and vegetables and lean protein sources are equal to 100.
Although foods obtained at work do not represent the majority of most diets, about 11% of workers get it at work three times a week, and 5% at least five times a week.
This means that millions of employees regularly consume a large number of calories at work and that this could be an important part of their diet.
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