Woman faces backlash after demanding colleagues cut down on office treats

Most of us are partial to a snack while at work – but should what we eat be dictated by others?

We understand that the afternoon slump can hit hard and a little bit of sugar can be vital to make it to the end of the day.

Some offices offer free snacks (which let’s be honest, should be a standard), though it would seem that this causes an issue for some people who can’t help but take advantage…

Taking to Mumsnet, one concerned worker posted on the Am I Being Unreasonable forum asking if she was allowed to ask her colleagues to cut down on the treats.

We all find our hand in the cookie jar from time to time. (Credit: Peter Dazeley/Getty)

Revealing that she had put on weight since starting at her place of work, the unnamed woman said: “The only variable between this job and my last one is a permanently well-stocked table of ‘treats’. So, biscuits, those little M&S tubs of cake bites, donuts, Rocky bars. You name it.”

Admitting that she stumbles to the same fate as a lot of us, the concerned worker stressed that she succumbs to the afternoon slump and needs a boost of sugar to get her through the day.

“Essentially, I eat far more sweet things now due to this table of junk food. Obviously, as I eat things I replace them but then I just eat them again,” she confessed.

Unsure how to get around her problem, she went on: “I’d like to ask the team to save treats for an actual occasional treat but, simultaneously, if I’m the only one who has no willpower, is it fair to request they adapt their behaviour for me?”

She concluded by asking again whether it was unreasonable to expect her colleagues to change their snacking habits, adding: “[I’m] genuinely contemplating leaving as I just will not be able to manage my weight without a change in workplace culture.”

The post gained a mixed reaction, as is understandable when someone threatens to take fun food away.

One rather blunt response said: “The problem is your lack of willpower and responsibility for your choices. It’ll never be anyone else’s fault what you put in your mouth, except yours.”

An office snack table is proving too tempting for one woman. (Credit: LauriPatterson/Getty)

A second person added: “I agree a regular table of food is much more tempting than having to go out and buy a treat, so I can appreciate the difficulty.

But if this table of food disappeared, would you not just transfer the temptation to something else?”

“Not very fair on the other staff if they go without because of your own lack of willpower!,” a third chimed in.

However, others sympathised.

“Yeah, people are free to do what they want but [the person posting] is free to find it frustrating too. It’s so much harder to resist when you’re hungry, tired and stressed,” someone else said.

It’s a double-edged sword because it’s completely understandable that sometimes free goodies are too good to resist, but if you took our snacks away there’d be hell to pay.

Featured image: Getty