Den socialt accepterade matlådan

: en enkätstudie om arbetskollegors inverkan på individens medhavda mat till arbetsplatsen

Abstract

Introduction: A great deal of time is spent at the workplace which means that many of our meals takes place there. The workplace is a place for social relationships. These relationships have a great impact on the individual’s food choices.

Aim: The aim is to examine if and how colleagues influence the individual's food choices

Material and methods: The method used was a quantitative online survey with qualitative elements. Respondents were recruited on Facebook.

Results: 596 people took part in the online survey, 340 women, 244 men and 12 other. Respondents experienced comments on the food that they brought to the workplace. The co-workers’ comments were both positive and negative and affected the individual in different ways. Some individuals changed the size of their portions while others did not bring food that was not viewed as socially accepted. The study also showed that the co-workers inspired one another to try new dishes and to eat more vegetarian food.

Conclusions: Negative and positive comments occurred at the workplaces. The effect of the comments varied, some participants did not change their eating behavior while others were greatly affected and stopped bringing a lunchbox to the workplace. At many workplaces the co-workers inspired each other to try new things. The study’s results confirm that the individual’s food choices are affected by the group and the social environment, where the workplace can play a central role.