Abundance, Control and Water! Water! Water!

Abstract

Working in the workplace requires a labor all of its own. In addition to the work of simply provisioning food, the twenty-five university office workers interviewed in this interdisciplinary study also put considerable labor into developing and maintaining complex systems for making choices about what, how and where to eat while working. These systems, which were designed to meet varying individual definitions of “health,” were then strained and frequently sabotaged by food that simply materialized in the workplace through catered meals and office “food altars.” The work of avoiding and compensating for these appeared foods emerged as a central theme in the research. For many, the consumption of water offered a virtuous solution to the conundrum. Articulated as a chant and a dictum, “Water! Water! Water!” propelled workers toward self-described “good choices” in their patterns of workplace consumption and navigation.

Keywords:

• negative nutrition
• labor
• water
• work
• mental labor

Notes

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8. Obesity is not really a disease in the sense that these others are, but its often mentioned along with other chronic diseases.

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12. (5, 6848–7251; 16, 13756–15233).

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14. (3, 5802).

15. (17, 49265–49347).

16. (24, 63393–64417).

17. (4,19385–19474).

18. (2, 26800–27542).

19. (15, 2375–2600).

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22. (5, 62480–62711).

23. (8, 18763–19113).

24. (4, 24721–25678).

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26. (22, 30675–31129).

27. (15, 28626–28858).

28. (13, 47018–47122).

29. (13, 66815).

30. (8, 44354–45280).

31. (6, 38882–41762).

32. (21, 9613–11982). Not all “free” workplace food is equal, of course. This study focuses on sweets and temptations. Yet one subject talked of getting cream cheese from a leftover office breakfast, and combining it with pepper jelly and pita chips that he had for a workplace lunch she deemed both pleasing and healthful (20, 26799–28648).

33. (5, 12970–14008).

34. (19, 7086–8285).

35. (19, 10727–11632).

36. (19, 32421–35385).

37. (20, 49255–50053).

38. One of the subjects, Mark, who had consumed the “stupid cookie,” had, just that morning, gone to the gym in order to lose weight and build “muscle mass.” Taking in unnecessary calories presented in a boxed lunch, then, directly neutralized the impact of his chosen activity on his non-work time. This tension may motivate particularly negative characterizations of work-place food choices. (20, 49729–50052).

39. (10, 65078–66518).

40. (5, 26547–28561).

41. One subject brought small trail mix packs to work so she would have her own healthy snack options and also for sharing: “I take them…to work and put them in my desk so I have them there. They come to me when they want snacks, because they know I have a lot of snacks.” (3, 37260–37425).

42. (2, 58727–60353).

43. (2, 67834–69673).

44. (7, 16803–17243).

45. (12, 39881– 40410).

46. (17, 23832–23937).

47. (7, 16803–17243).

48. (17, 23468–23495, 23972–24081).

49. (12, 39881– 40410).

50. (17, 23063–23198).

51. (22, 50957–51411).

52. (16, 31449–32901).

53. (6, 12058–12739).

54. (11, 43678–44955).

55. (9, 59,198–60685).

56. (22, 50957–51411).

57. Tom Brennan, "Drinks: Water, "Soft," and Alcoholic." In The Handbook of Food Research, edited by Anne Murcott, Warren Belasco and Peter Jackson. (London: Bloomsbury, 2013).

58. Nicholas DiFonzo, The Watercooler Effect: A Psychologist Explores the Extraordinary Power of Rumors. (New York: Penguin Group, 2008); A.L. Fayard, and J. Weeks, "Photocopiers and Water-Coolers: The Affordances of Informal Interaction." Organization Studies 28, no. 5 (May 2007): 605–34.

59. Fereydoon Batmanghedlidj, You're Not Sick, You're Thirsty! Water for Health, for Healing, for Life (New York: Warner Books, 2003); Don Colbert, The Seven Pillars of Health. (Lake Mary, FL: Charisma Media, 2007).

60. (17, 7355–7680).

61. (20, 17982–18982).

62. (3, 20238–20325) (8, 8403–8791).

63. (22, 885); (3, 4766–5195); (22, 1401–1465).

64. (21, 2891–3165).

65. (5, 14089–14100) Davis water is very hard and high in solids. It also contains levels of Chromium that some deem unhealthful. Concerns about the toxicity of Davis water may underlie some of employees’ enthusiasm for bottled and machine-produced water in the office. See Melissa Caldwell (2014) for information on water contamination scares.

66. (2, 21402–22549) (2, 22812–23755) (2, 49201–50902).

67. (2, 21402–22549).

68. (3, 20222–22708).

69. (16, 50129–50289).

70. (20, 17982–18982).

71. (2, 49201–50902).

72. (24, 8152–10566).

73. (3, 4766–5195).

74. (9, 11476–11909).

75. (5, 8152–10566).

76. (11, 31784–32804).

77. Water cooler installation and water bottle provisioning for employees would be a worksite intervention, then, in line with steps that should be taken to improve food choices at work recommended by Devine et al., Work Conditions: 368.