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What are your unpopular opinions about health / fitness?
Replies
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Re: People repeatedly urging treats on others at work (which is not identical to acting all offended if they don't accept, even though sensitive individuals may feel differently).
There exist, or have existed, subcultures with politeness rituals around offering and accepting food (outside immediate family). My family's geographic/national-origin background included one where, if you went to someone's home, and they offered you a treat, it was polite to refuse twice before finally accepting on the third offer. Some people got a reputation as stingy and inhospitable because they would only offer twice.
I'm not suggesting that this ritual is even slightly common, only that it has been a thing. Evaluating other people's motivations and intentions can be difficult, in environments where people's backgrounds are diverse.6 -
vegaslounge wrote: »I'm late to the thread (it's been a fun read!) but figured I'd throw in my two cents...
I hate the "my coworker is trying to sabotage my weight loss by bringing in treats!" whine. And I don't just say this as a coworker who brings in said treats, I say it as a human being who has free will and doesn't have a paranoid chip on her shoulder, chocolate or otherwise.
You are not so special, and the world not so petty, that Becky from accounting is trying to derail your – yes, YOUR! PERSONAL!– weight loss goals. Even if she is, you aren't tied to your office chair while she crams cookies fois gras-style down your gullet (if this is the case, I think OSHA would be a better organization to contact than MFP). Occam's razor would say that your coworker is trying to be nice and, also, you aren't the only person in the office, buttercup. Maybe Josh from marketing or that guy who delivers the mail whom you've never bothered to learn the name of would like an afternoon pick-me-up.
The "solutions" to this "problem" are usually just as bad. I especially hate the, "throw it away in front of them, they'll get the hint" one. Again, I AM that coworker who brings in homemade goods, and based on feedback, I am a damn good cook. I've also lost 35lb in the last year. I love to bake (it's very soothing) but I don't have much of a sweet tooth so I undoubtedly make more than I know I'd eat for weeks. So, why not share the bounty? Honestly, if a coworker accepted a brownie and then made sure that I saw them throw it in the trash, I wouldn't "take the hint" that I'm not supposed to bring in treats. I'd be a little hurt because I put time, money and effort into doing something nice for the office and you're frankly coming across like a world-class kittenhole and remarkable egotist for no good reason. Even if your coworker is bringing in dollar-store doughnuts, they spent their money to be nice. Hell, my supervisor's treat last month sent me into anaphylaxis and I don't shout "murderer!" every time I see her (sometimes. Not every time.)
Maybe I'm completely wrong. Maybe there really are Brazil-esque businesses where your coworkers surround you chanting "EAT! THE! CAKE!!! EAT! THE! CAKE!!!" and you get a zap to the cajones if you refuse. Is that what real office jobs are like? I've worked in non-profits my professional career, we're kind of the hippies of the corporate world.
I personally think this cake culture is a damaging maladaption. It's not a "nice" thing to bring in fat pills. It's definitely a bad thing to do. But because we have a cake culture in offices, it's almost expected that everyone take their turn bringing in sugary, fatty foods with which to tempt each other. Also to order and share a cake when a coworker has a birthday...yuck. It's just not a healthy practice for us humans to have adopted and yet we have and there's all kind of societal expectations around accepting the food, taking your turn to bring in food, etc. The sooner gone the better.
This is probably the saddest, most blinkered view of social behavior I have ever seen expressed on the forums here.25 -
I'm not suggesting that this ritual is even slightly common, only that it has been a thing. Evaluating other people's motivations and intentions can be difficult, in environments where people's backgrounds are diverse.
My brother married a Ukrainian. My Grandmother had never touched alcohol in her life. When the wine came around at the reception, she did offend his wife's side by not wanting any. Was easily resolved when she allowed her glass to be filled but didn't drink any, but it was a big deal to some.
No question some cultures have expectations around food. Some are just weird (like the offering 3 times above), some come from a sense of self worth, but all need to be curtailed in a day to day workplace.
It's funny, but I have seen a big difference in my work place in the last year. It's a small office, about 12 people, 8 of which report to me. A year ago there were more treats, donuts etc. being brought in. At least weekly. But, as I lost weight and kept saying no to them, others started following suite and stuff got thrown away. So treats are now pretty rare. And even when someone does bring them in, we share with the rest of the building instead of just the accounting/marketing areas. It's even been pointed out that it is my fault
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"Pepper Culture" has taken over my workplace! Co-workers are bringing in their harvests of hot peppers; yesterday it was ghost, habanero and jalapeno.
Peer pressure and offense sure to follow.18 -
VintageFeline wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Tacklewasher wrote: »deannalfisher wrote: »if "cake culture" was so prevalent - I would expect some anthropology, sociology, psychological type entity to have done some kind of study on it but see nada in google scholar (an article in a newspaper does not count unless its linked to a peer reviewed journal)
Why do I get the feeling Michael Moore will not be doing a documentary on this?
Because it would be a memoir?
Snort.
I tell you what though, I deserve a medal for reading about cake for two days now and not going and getting some. Because you guyz are some hardcore cake pushers, you should be ashamed of your enabling behaviour giving no regard for me losing weight.
You inspire me!!2 -
Why would someone get offended if you don't eat what they brought to work? First, I have worked with people who I know (and actually seen) don't wash their hands after visiting the b-room...why in the hell would I want to eat something your nasty azz makes? Second, I have food intolerance (gluten and lactose), so can't eat a lot of stuff for medical reasons. If someone got pissy, oh well....it's not them that have to wake up at 3am with intense cramps and other not-nice-to-mention problems, possibly take a sick day from it. Third, I will bring stuff in sometimes, but it is always prepared/packaged, and may even be a fruit or veggie tray on occasion in addition to a box of cookies. I understand cultural norms are different in some places about being offered food, but if I refuse and tell them I can't b/c of medical reasons, yet they still try to peer pressure me into eating...it's not me be rude....it's them IMHO.2
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Re: People repeatedly urging treats on others at work (which is not identical to acting all offended if they don't accept, even though sensitive individuals may feel differently).
There exist, or have existed, subcultures with politeness rituals around offering and accepting food (outside immediate family). My family's geographic/national-origin background included one where, if you went to someone's home, and they offered you a treat, it was polite to refuse twice before finally accepting on the third offer. Some people got a reputation as stingy and inhospitable because they would only offer twice.
I'm not suggesting that this ritual is even slightly common, only that it has been a thing. Evaluating other people's motivations and intentions can be difficult, in environments where people's backgrounds are diverse.
Well my old Italian grandmother was an outright, aggressive food pusher. If you went to her house and didn't partake, you were told quite directly to not come back again. As she would say, " you comma my house and no eat, you no comma my house". Interestingly, little to no obesity ran in that side of the family. One aunt I think was the only one that could be classified as obese out of 11 children plus spouses and over 50 grandchildren.3 -
"Pepper Culture" has taken over my workplace! Co-workers are bringing in their harvests of hot peppers; yesterday it was ghost, habanero and jalapeno.
Peer pressure and offense sure to follow.
Why does this never happen at my workplace?
I sometimes get greens, zucchini, or tomatoes, but nobody ever brings me ghost peppers.3 -
Tacklewasher wrote: »I'm not suggesting that this ritual is even slightly common, only that it has been a thing. Evaluating other people's motivations and intentions can be difficult, in environments where people's backgrounds are diverse.
My brother married a Ukrainian. My Grandmother had never touched alcohol in her life. When the wine came around at the reception, she did offend his wife's side by not wanting any. Was easily resolved when she allowed her glass to be filled but didn't drink any, but it was a big deal to some.
No question some cultures have expectations around food. Some are just weird (like the offering 3 times above), some come from a sense of self worth, but all need to be curtailed in a day to day workplace.
It's funny, but I have seen a big difference in my work place in the last year. It's a small office, about 12 people, 8 of which report to me. A year ago there were more treats, donuts etc. being brought in. At least weekly. But, as I lost weight and kept saying no to them, others started following suite and stuff got thrown away. So treats are now pretty rare. And even when someone does bring them in, we share with the rest of the building instead of just the accounting/marketing areas. It's even been pointed out that it is my fault
It was kind of creepy to me, when I was a manager, how often it seemed like people were attuned to my unconscious, non-work-related behavior, and acted as if it was some kind of guide or model. One also sees things like figures of speech within human groups tend to propagate from the formal or informal 'leaders' through others in the group. We really are wired to be tribal.
I still think "cake culture" is a silly concept, and that treats at work are an extension of millennia-old human social behavior. Subjectively (i.e. without actual broad evidence), I do feel like the workplace did become a larger social-group facilitator for increasing numbers of people, over the last few decades, and that there's been increased formal emphasis on creating a sense of social belonging at work to foster team-building.
With that going on in parallel with increased casual/frequent treat-eating in the culture at large, it wouldn't surprise me if there's been a slight uptick in the average person's exposure to treats at work.
Compared to when I started full-time office work in the 1970s, there's been a noticeable decrease in teams going out during working hours and drinking silly amounts of alcohol, though. Cake at work is probably safer, and more productive work-wise.6 -
Compared to when I started full-time office work in the 1970s, there's been a noticeable decrease in teams going out during working hours and drinking silly amounts of alcohol, though. Cake at work is probably safer, and more productive work-wise.
True. Sweet treats in the lunchroom does seem to have replaced the three martini lunch.3 -
Compared to when I started full-time office work in the 1970s, there's been a noticeable decrease in teams going out during working hours and drinking silly amounts of alcohol, though. Cake at work is probably safer, and more productive work-wise.
True. Sweet treats in the lunchroom does seem to have replaced the three martini lunch.
I like your idea better!0 -
Someone brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing in to my workplace today. We almost never really make anything like that at home so it is nice having the option to enjoy a treat from time to time. Plus carrots are a vegetable so its kind of like I am having a salad.22
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Someone brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing in to my workplace today. We almost never really make anything like that at home so it is nice having the option to enjoy a treat from time to time. Plus carrots are a vegetable so its kind of like I am having a salad.
Too much like salad...
Give me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing.1 -
Someone brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing in to my workplace today. We almost never really make anything like that at home so it is nice having the option to enjoy a treat from time to time. Plus carrots are a vegetable so its kind of like I am having a salad.
That is something I would avoid. I don't like the texture of carrot cake and the cream cheese frosting is too sweet for my taste.
New debate topic:
1) Cream cheese or buttercream?
2) Frosting or icing?
Buttercream person here.
If it is thick gloopy stuff, it is frosting. If it is thinner, it is icing. if you can see though it, it is glaze.2 -
Carlos_421 wrote: »Someone brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing in to my workplace today. We almost never really make anything like that at home so it is nice having the option to enjoy a treat from time to time. Plus carrots are a vegetable so its kind of like I am having a salad.
Too much like salad...
Give me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing.
Chocolate cones from plants as well...1 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Someone brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing in to my workplace today. We almost never really make anything like that at home so it is nice having the option to enjoy a treat from time to time. Plus carrots are a vegetable so its kind of like I am having a salad.
Too much like salad...
Give me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing.
Chocolate cones from plants as well...
Yup, you are eating the processed seeds so chocolate is like peanut butter.
Chocolate in its infancy:
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nutmegoreo wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Someone brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing in to my workplace today. We almost never really make anything like that at home so it is nice having the option to enjoy a treat from time to time. Plus carrots are a vegetable so its kind of like I am having a salad.
Too much like salad...
Give me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing.
Chocolate cones from plants as well...
Yup, you are eating the processed seeds so chocolate is like peanut butter.
Plus there's caffeine. Increases your heart rate. Chocolate cake = eating a salad while on the treadmill.17 -
Someone brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing in to my workplace today. We almost never really make anything like that at home so it is nice having the option to enjoy a treat from time to time. Plus carrots are a vegetable so its kind of like I am having a salad.
That is something I would avoid. I don't like the texture of carrot cake and the cream cheese frosting is too sweet for my taste.
New debate topic:
1) Cream cheese or buttercream?
2) Frosting or icing?
Buttercream person here.
If it is thick gloopy stuff, it is frosting. If it is thinner, it is icing. if you can see though it, it is glaze.
And if it's able to stop a bullet, it's fondant.7 -
stanmann571 wrote: »Someone brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing in to my workplace today. We almost never really make anything like that at home so it is nice having the option to enjoy a treat from time to time. Plus carrots are a vegetable so its kind of like I am having a salad.
That is something I would avoid. I don't like the texture of carrot cake and the cream cheese frosting is too sweet for my taste.
New debate topic:
1) Cream cheese or buttercream?
2) Frosting or icing?
Buttercream person here.
If it is thick gloopy stuff, it is frosting. If it is thinner, it is icing. if you can see though it, it is glaze.
And if it's able to stop a bullet, it's fondant.
Unless it is the melted fondant candy used to cover petit fours.1 -
nutmegoreo wrote: »nutmegoreo wrote: »Carlos_421 wrote: »Someone brought a carrot cake with cream cheese icing in to my workplace today. We almost never really make anything like that at home so it is nice having the option to enjoy a treat from time to time. Plus carrots are a vegetable so its kind of like I am having a salad.
Too much like salad...
Give me a chocolate cake with chocolate icing.
Chocolate cones from plants as well...
Yup, you are eating the processed seeds so chocolate is like peanut butter.
Plus there's caffeine. Increases your heart rate. Chocolate cake = eating a salad while on the treadmill.
I prefer to think of it as eating peanut butter on the trampoline.4
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