Factors associated with healthy and unhealthy workplace eating behaviours in individuals with overweight/obesity with and without binge eating disorder

• Published in: Obesity science & practice Vol. 4; no. 2; pp. 109 - 118
• Main Authors: Leung, S. L., Barber, J. A., Burger, A., Barnes, R. D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States John Wiley & Sons, Inc 01.04.2018; John Wiley and Sons Inc
• Subjects: Behavior; Binge eating; Binge‐eating disorder; Body mass index; Body weight; Body weight loss; Bulimia; Eating disorders; Emotions; Environmental factors; Food; Health care; Influence; Mental depression; Mental disorders; Obesity; Original; Overweight; Primary care; Social interactions; Stress; Thyroid gland; Weight control; workplace eating; workplace eating; Binge‐eating disorder; overweight; obesity
• ISSN: 2055-2238; 2055-2238
• DOI: 10.1002/osp4.151

Summary Objective Most Americans spend an average of 8 hours per day in the workplace. Current understanding of eating behaviours in the workplace and their association with overweight, obesity and binge eating disorder (BED) is limited. Workplace eating behaviours and weight‐related self‐efficacy were examined in a sample of 98 individuals with overweight or obesity, with or without BED. Design Participants completed the Weight Efficacy Lifestyle Questionnaire, Work and Social Adjustment Scale, Worker's Perception of Environmental Factors, and a Workplace Questionnaire. Results Eating unplanned food occurred on average 2.43 times per week (SD = 3.37), and eating unplanned food even when meals were brought from home occurred on average 1.28 times per week (SD = 1.84). Individuals with BED purchased lunch even when they brought food from home significantly more frequently than did individuals without BED. Those with BED also reported significantly poorer work and social adjustment related to binge eating as compared with those without BED. The most significant barriers to healthy eating in the workplace were coworker influence, eating more food in general and more junk food in response to stress, eating unplanned food at work and time constraints. Conclusions These factors may be important to target in weight‐loss treatment to increase individuals' weight loss success. As individuals with BED may be the most vulnerable to eating unplanned foods, clinicians may want to focus on this potential barrier in BED treatment.