Hugh: Your Co-Workers Influence Your Health More Than You Think

Your co-workers might be influencing your health more than you might think. Researchers from Germany and the Netherlands have found that employees are more likely to eat fruits and vegetables and engage in physical activity when their co-workers encourage a healthy lifestyle. But, if one colleague exercises a lot, this does not prompt others to emulate that individual. Researchers write, “Thus, regarding physical exercise, explicit encouragement has a positive effect.” Scientists say that overall, co-workers encouragement and healthy behaviors have the potential to contribute to creating a culture of health at the workplace and support all employees in making healthy choices.