With all of the bitchin’ and moanin’ coming from corporate HR departments about the cost of health care (and the bitchin’ & moanin’ is quite justified) you have to wonder what companies are thinking when they bring in a spread like this for their employees to see first thing in the morning.

This was the scene yesterday morning at my husband’s job. A healthy dose of fast digesting carbs — muffins, bagels and croissants. Oh sure there was a small bowl of fruit, but for those employees who are already overweight or obese, the seemingly healthy option just worsens their insulin & insulin resistance. Dear Corporate America, if you’re concerned about the health of your employees, then don’t do this!

Really!

My husband is doing his best to eat healthy, real foods. He’s also joining me in my daily 24-hour fast I’m doing for Lent.  Yet this is what he saw when he walked to his cube (oh and he sits near this stuff too). My hubby, whose favorite food group is “pie,” was pretty miserable that morning. Fortunately he resisted the temptations.

I have a few questions for the corporate bosses and HR folks who spend a lot on corporate wellness programs and look at this spread and think it’s good for morale.

First of all, why assume your employees haven’t eaten breakfast before coming to work? I get it is a “thank you” for all the work they do, but why not choose more healthy options than sugar/fructose loaded bagels, muffins and croissants? I’m not sure what the read saucy looking stuff is, but I guarantee it is loaded with fructose corn syrup or sugar.

If you want your employees to get healthy, why provide a “thank you” that could bust their diets? I’m a big believer that diets don’t work. It is about a lifestyle change. But many of your employees still diet, and this is the ultimate in diet sabotage!

Did you plan for your employees become lethargic in a couple of hours once their blood sugar — which this faux “food” will send sky high — comes crashing down?

Did you think, “Hey, fruit is healthy, so let’s make sure 1 of the 10 bowls has some fruit?”

Are you even aware that fruit isn’t the best option for your overweight/obese employees suffering from insulin resistance? Next time, opt for berries.

Why do you think that this fake “food” is the best way to reward your employees? Isn’t it possible to have team-building, social activities or thank-yous without crappy food?

The bottom line: If you want to have a wellness program at your office, you can’t focus on the thin (the ones you think are healthy because they’re skinny) employees. The reason you chose these foods is because they are 1) cheap and fit nicely into your budget, and 2) it’s easy to order.

While I’m sure your motivations were in the right place, I guarantee you no one thought to ask, “Hey, will the food we’re about to order make it harder for employees to get healthy and lose weight?”

Question: what are some foods in your workplace that you regularly avoid?