According to experts!

What a load of nonsense! Comparing to passive smoking is ridiculous, I can’t not breath in smoke. I can however make the choice to not eat cake

I can however make the choice to not eat cake

I wish I had your will power 🙄

But yes, daft comparison.

Crumbs!

I can however make the choice to not eat cake

Is this some sort of twisted joke … I don’t understand the sentence.

“If nobody brought cakes into the office, I would not eat cakes in the day. But because people do bring cakes in, I eat them. Now, OK, I have made a choice, but people were making a choice to go into a smoky pub.

People weren’t making a choice to go into a smoky pub. They were making a choice to go to a pub. That argument only holds water if there were non-smoky pubs we could have gone to instead.

Weren’t we just discussing the other day about how some highly intelligent people are actually a bit dim in other areas? She’s going to be a 30 stone heifer if she ever discovers “supermarkets.”

I wish I had your will power 🙄

just to be clear, I have a choice not to eat the cake, but I always do!!😁

I’m going to bring cake in to the office, in a locked box.

Every so often, I shall unlock it, waft the aroma around a bit, then lock it again.

The real trick is to not tell coworkers when your birthday is, seeing as they’re coworkers and nothing more!

To be honest I’m glad that in my new job, cakes on your birthday isn’t a thing, previously it felt a bit rude not to have a slice even if you didn’t really want it………….

Passive caking. Is a thing?

Ban cake in my office and I will strike.

There’s not much that’d get me riled at work, but banning cake would see me go full Michael Douglas

I’ve never understood the logic of having to bring cake in on your birthday, it’s my birthday, you should bring me cake 🍰

Well, to add some personal insight/experience/anecdote, during the first lockdown I quite quickly lost about half a stone. My exercise levels were the same, and my meals were basically the same.

What I put it down to was the fact that, at work in a largish office, there is nearly always someone’s birthday cakes, holiday sweets, leftover cakes from a kid’s party, or something similar, available for colleague consumption. And I would probably have one or two, most days. I didn’t see any harm in it, it wasn’t a case of ‘willpower’, it was just a couple of cakes/sweets after all, and I was no fatty.

Clearly, though, those couple of cakes/sweets, over time, added up to the point that I had excess weight that I didn’t really know that I had. And ‘unhealthy’ weight at that, as it had all come from processed/refined sugars and fats.

So, it’s not entirely nonsense, IMO

I’ve never understood the logic of having to bring cake in on your birthday,

I’ve never understood the logic of going into work on your birthday. I’ve never done it.

Clearly, though, those couple of cakes/sweets, over time, added up to the point that I had excess weight that I didn’t really know that I had. And ‘unhealthy’ weight at that, as it had all come from processed/refined sugars and fats.

but surely if it’s clear that the cake adds up over time, thats contradictory to your earlier statement that you didn’t see the harm in it.

I fail to see how anyone in this day and age would think that a couple of pieces of cake every single day wouldn’t have a negative impact on your weight and potentially your health, or be surprised when this led to gaining a few pounds

As has been pointed out, if you are fine with those extra calories then bash on (I will) if not then don’t eat them every day.

I can’t not breath in smoke. I can however make the choice to not eat cake

I don’t “eat” cake, I inhale it, so I can see the problem.

I can’t see a problem really, assuming everyone brings in one sensibly sized cake for their team/coworkers then that’s their annual average too. It’s not like we’re bringing in enough cake for all 200+ on the project.

Comparing to passive smoking is ridiculous

Indeed, “urgh I stink of cake” said no one ever when getting back from the office.

I don’t “eat” cake, I inhale it, so I can see the problem.

Especially if someone else is eating it.

I don’t “eat” cake, I inhale it, so I can see the problem

I used to Snort it but quickly moved on to freebasing

but surely if it’s clear that the cake adds up over time, thats contradictory to your earlier statement that you didn’t see the harm in it.

I fail to see how anyone in this day and age would think that a couple of pieces of cake every single day wouldn’t have a negative impact on your weight and potentially your health, or be surprised when this led to gaining a few pounds

As has been pointed out, if you are fine with those extra calories then bash on (I will) if not then don’t eat them every day.

Whatevs, I simply offered some relevant personal experience, I’ll leave you to your outrage.

Perhaps, as with smoking, all cake advertising should be banned. Cake should be hidden behind counters in shops. Possibly in the cupboard of shame with the tobacco products. You must be 18 to purchase cake.

Whatevs, I simply offered some relevant personal experience, I’ll leave you to your outrage

what on earth makes you think I’m remotely outraged by this??

Hospital workers often get bought treats, sweets, chocolate, cake etc. by grateful patients, It really would be better if the money was given to charity, this applies to any office, workplace etc.

😢

Perhaps, as with smoking, all cake advertising should be banned. Cake should be hidden behind counters in shops. Possibly in the cupboard of shame with the tobacco products. You must be 18 to purchase cake.

And make you stand outside whilst eating it?

What bugs me (and see my forum post) is that those around me know I am Type 2 diabetic, and that i control with a sensible attitude to diet and exercise…… yet time after time, i come in to a huge pile of cakes and biscuits next to me over xmas as there is an empty desk..

On the same bank of desks is a vegan, they choose that diet, i don’t have a choice in mine, yet no-one would leave a bacon sandwich on their desk!

You must be 18 to purchase cake.

Isn’t that a made-up drug?

What bugs me (and see my forum post) is that those around me know I am Type 2 diabetic, and that i control with a sensible attitude to diet and exercise…… yet time after time, i come in to a huge pile of cakes and biscuits next to me over xmas as there is an empty desk..

Maybe they think you might have a family who likes cake?

Let them eat cake!

and there is your list of cake stuffing fat ex-smokers.

We don’t want to be stimulating Shatner’s Bassoon.

80% of cake in any office is eaten by 20% of staff.

Funnily enough they tend to be easy to spot.

Putting the fat biffas aside, asking a minimum wage office junior to bring in cakes for 40 people on their birthday strikes me as not particularly fair…

Passive caking. Is a thing?

The struggle is real!

What bugs me (and see my forum post) is that those around me know I am Type 2 diabetic, and that i control with a sensible attitude to diet and exercise…… yet time after time, i come in to a huge pile of cakes and biscuits next to me over xmas as there is an empty desk..

On the same bank of desks is a vegan, they choose that diet, i don’t have a choice in mine, yet no-one would leave a bacon sandwich on their desk!

Yea, and some people (myself included) don’t have an off switch for sweet stuff. My OH is just as bad, and enables it. When living alone I just don’t buy biscuits/cake/chocolate unless I actually want it. Because if it’s in the house I will eat it that day, so a ‘treat’ bought with the shopping gets replaced every day and ceases to be a treat 🤷

For ballance, being vegetarian it does seem like one of the few choices/beliefs you can have and be socially acceptably mocked for.

It’s like the dietary equivalent of cycling.

I think she has a point. For the regular population yeah, if you don’t want any cake just don’t have any. But for people like me who struggle with compulsive eating I’d be much better off without free cake in the office.

I used to work with a woman who would bring me cake specifically regularly, it was a nightmare because I couldn’t not scoff it, 4 big slabs of paradise slice from the local college. Bloody lovely.

luckily I was riding to work at the time and didn’t get any fatter, but if this makes people like her think then it’ll help some people.

Our commercial manager has a habit of bringing loads of cakes and buscuits in, for no reason at all, and doesn’t eat them, they’re for “everyone else”. That would be me and the MD (who wants to loose weight) and I don’t bloody want them because I don’t have an off switch when it comes to cake and biscuits!

I’ve never understood the logic of having to bring cake in on your birthday, it’s my birthday, you should bring me cake

But if you’ve been given a birthday cake then passing it round the office means you don’t have to eat it all yourself!

For ballance, being vegetarian it does seem like one of the few choices/beliefs you can have and be socially acceptably mocked for.

And yet, walk into any supermarket, and you will a whole isle of vegan / vegetarian products and gluten-free products, as they are very much “on-trend” and they know they can sell a product at a premium. Yet being diabetic (and my daughter is Type 1 also), it is a minefield, you see so many things that state “Sugar free” for example a pack of Halls throat sweets etc, but then they are still 94% carbohydrate.

I’ve never understood the logic of having to bring cake in on your birthday,

That way you only have to provide cake once a year. Whereas….

it’s my birthday, you should bring me cake 🍰

That way, if you work in a big office you’ll be buying cake for colleagues all the time!

I’m retired, so don’t have to put up with this nonsense any more, but it used to bug me.  Mainly because I have no will power! I can go weeks without eating cake or biscuits and very rarely buy them for myself.  But if my wife buys a packet of biscuits, once I have one, I find it hard to stop.  It was the same with cake when I worked in a big office, so I kind of get it. Yes I know I should show some willpower yada, yada.  It’s only one woman’s opinion/suggestion though so no point getting wound up about it, it’s not about to become law.

I was horrified by this as I had unwittingly bought a chocolate croissant for my colleague this morning. I know it’s not cake, per se, but I immediately referred myself to HR, just to be on the safe side.

What bugs me (and see my forum post) is that those around me know I am Type 2 diabetic, and that i control with a sensible attitude to diet and exercise…… yet time after time, i come in to a huge pile of cakes and biscuits next to me over xmas as there is an empty desk..

You (and all the coeliacs, nut and egg allergy sufferers, and even the vegans) show that it IS possible to resist the cake if your motivation is high enough.  However, I do get that just saying “you need willpower” is not really a good argument.  People who struggle with willpower need to find ways to avoid being in the situation where they just eat the cake.  For me, coffee is so much nicer with cake or a good biscuit, so I’ll try to drink tea (which for me is fine without).  If I really want some cake, I’ll use it as my motivation to go for a run / ride.  Any argument that peer pressure to eat cake, or its just too tempting to say no also applies to after work drinks, taking the car rather than walking etc.

On the same bank of desks is a vegan, they choose that diet, i don’t have a choice in mine, yet no-one would leave a bacon sandwich on their desk!

I get what you are saying but its a poor analogy because it would be odd to leave bacon rolls lying around.  Would they think put a platter of cheese, biscuits, butter, cold meat on the empty desk and saying to people help themselves?  I presume so.  I’m guessing many of the cakes are also not vegan but they don’t complain about those?

However as far as I can tell nearly everyone I deal with in the “office world” who was working from home during covid:

– ate more / less healthily

– exercised MORE because the lockdowns made getting outside walking/cycling etc a habit.

– put on weight

So not sure that the cake in the office is the real issue…