In today’s lifestyle, with all the hustle and bustle around us, we all know that a desk job keeps us sitting for longer hours. Even while traveling to work, whether by bus, train, or metro, we prefer not to stand and instead rush to grab a seat. But what we don’t talk about enough is how these habits correlate with our slowly changing behavior around food.
“I see this every day in my Outpatient Department (OPD): a young professional around 29, 32, or 35 years old walks in and complains about weight gain or a growing belly pouch. And when I ask about their daily lifestyle, the story is almost the same,” Chief Dietician Vidhisha Parekh at Lilavati Hospital and Research Center, Mumbai, tells Health Shots.
Why do I crave fat?
Breakfast is usually a hurried cup of tea or coffee; lunch is often whatever arrives faster, whether through food delivery apps, the office mess, or the canteen. By 4 pm, there’s an intense craving for something fried or sweet. Dinner is usually late and heavy, often eaten while scrolling social media or watching a movie or series on a device.
Is sitting the new smoking, actually?
When you sit for eight to nine hours at a stretch, your digestion actually slows down. We often say that sitting for long hours is the new smoking. Even if you are not actively smoking, sitting continuously does similar damage to your metabolism. Because of this, you don’t feel hungry at the right time, so you skip meals, which affects your cortisol levels, your stress hormone. It stays high, and elevated cortisol makes your brain crave quick-energy foods like sugar, biscuits, namkeen, and chips. Hence, you don’t crave healthy food like makhana at 4 pm; instead, you crave samosas, vada, chaat, all fast food.
What is mindless eating?
A desk job also blurs your hunger cues; as a result, you eat because the clock says so, “it’s lunchtime,” or because your “colleague ordered food for you,” and it’s NOT BECAUSE YOU ARE HUNGRY. Over time, you forget to listen to your own body.
“Also, another thing I notice is mindless eating. Patients often eat while replying to emails or watching something on their device. While you are completely engrossed in the task, you tend to finish a whole packet of chips or cheese balls, and you don’t even remember eating it. As a result, your brain never gets the signal that you are full, which leads to overeating,” says the doctor.
What can we do to fix this unhealthy practice?
We don’t need a perfect diet; we need a few non-negotiable rules:
- Fix your breakfast plan: Even 5 minutes is enough. You can have a simple breakfast like a bowl of poha with peanuts, upma with veggies, or even a fruit with soaked almonds. It helps prevent that 11 am crash (Hypoglycemia) and prevents overeating later.
- Follow the 60-60 rule: While you’re working or at a desk job, every 60 minutes, make sure to move for 60 seconds. Walk to the office pantry, stretch your shoulders, and drink water. That small break will reset your craving and help with good posture.
- Keep your desk snack ready: “I always tell my patients to keep one good, healthy option in their office drawer or bag: roasted peanuts, a seasonal fruit, or a handful of nuts. If it’s there and easy to grab, you will eat it, and then you’ll avoid biscuits,” says the expert.
Two important things to follow:
- Keep a water bottle on your desk and finish it before lunch; refill it and finish it again by evening. This is to avoid confusing thirst with hunger.
- Try to get 10 minutes of sunlight in the morning and keep your dinner gadget-free. Just 15 minutes of eating without a screen helps your brain register fullness.
Remember, your desk job isn’t going anywhere, but you can decide your health won’t sit still because of it.
(Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.)
