Workplace programs to promote healthy food choices could improve employees’ eating habits, according to a study by researchers at Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital.
A two-year study at the hospital examined the purchasing habits of almost 5,700 employees before and after researchers put in place a “traffic light labeling and choice architecture program.”
It included adding traffic light-style food labels to all items for sale in the hospital, with green signifying healthy foods, yellow less healthy and red labels denoting the worst options. Researchers also made changes to various products’ placement in the cafeteria.
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“Employees frequently eat meals acquired at work, and a recent nationally representative household survey found that workplace food was high in calories from saturated fat and sugars,” noted the study. “Effective strategies for reducing non-nutritive energy intake during the workday could help address the rising prevalence of obesity in the United States and worldwide.”
Over the length of the study, the researchers observed an overall decrease of 6.2 per cent in calories per purchase, with a 23 per cent drop in calories from the least healthy foods. “Point-of-purchase programs could help improve dietary intake and prevent obesity in employees,” the study said.
It cited previous research demonstrating that obesity and diet-related diseases are linked to higher employee absenteeism and lower productivity, with related health-care costs at about US$200 billion.
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Under U.S. federal law, food sellers with 20 or more locations are already required to label the calorie content on food items. But, simpler labeling, like the traffic-light system, provides clear information for employees to make healthier choices, noted the study.
In addition, product placement can be key in changing eating habits, by making it easier for employees to select a healthy item than a less healthy one.
The researchers said the findings could be particularly relevant for mid-size and larger employers “who need solutions to address rising health-care expenses owing to employees’ obesity-related illnesses, including diabetes and cardiovascular disease.”