The offer of a piece of cake from a colleague on their birthday is just the thing to liven up a dull day at the office.
But health chiefs warned yesterday that the practice adds to the national obesity crisis and should be avoided.
They were accused of being killjoys for suggesting that, instead, co-workers should mark such special occasions with cucumber, carrots, celery sticks or fruit.
In new guidance, Public Health England said those who wanted to buy or make a colleague a cake on their birthday should look for ‘healthier alternatives’. File photo
In new guidance, Public Health England said those who wanted to buy or make a colleague a cake on their birthday should look for ‘healthier alternatives’.
The advice includes a ‘toolkit for employers’, which provides managers with tips on how to help their staff eat more healthily. Unhealthy workers are thought to cost taxpayers around £60billion a year.
The guidance said: ‘Begin a conversation about how special events (birthdays, holidays, anniversaries, promotions) are marked at work. Can “cake days” be shared, or healthier alternatives be provided?’
But Christopher Snowdon, of the Institute of Economic Affairs, told The Sun: ‘The clampdown on birthday cakes is another attempt by this meddlesome quango to suck the joy out of life.
The advice includes a ‘toolkit for employers’, which provides managers with tips on how to help their staff eat more healthily
‘Sharing tasty treats on special occasions builds team spirit and boosts morale.’ The health officials say vending machines should be filled with fruit, and bosses should ‘lead by example’ by taking the stairs rather than the lift. It says water coolers and bins should be placed as far from staff as reasonably possible to encourage them to walk more.
Nancy Birtwhistle, who won The Great British Bake Off in 2014, said: ‘I agree we need to tackle obesity – especially in children – but it will be a sad state of affairs if we find ourselves prohibited from celebrating special occasions in the workplace.
‘Eating cake does not in itself cause obesity. I’d struggle to make a showstopper celebration cake from carrots, celery and a cucumber.’