Crush Your Hunger Pains

Your career is sabotaging your waistline. It's time to clamp down on office food vices

If you're a desk-drawer crisp bag aficionado, then we've got your back come monday. when you're due a lenghty slog at work- and want to avoid pigging out all afternoon - beware of the spinal trap as new reasearch from Yale Universty School of Medecine has linked office discomforts such as an aching back to overeating. In their groundbreaking study , men were found to feel less satisfied by their regular meals and have an increased tendency to snack on junk food when were suffering from back pain.

The brain circuits that process physical pain actually averlap with the circuits that register to appeal of your food, says study author Dr Paul Geha. That means you're less able to resist everything from supermarket rotisserie chicken to the cake for this week's colleague birthday.

And when you do cave in to cravings, you'll experience less pleasure, if your back often

twings at work ( as is the case with over 60% of UK men), avoid pigging out by employing the expert-created methods below. NB these tips will also work when you feel yourself succumbing to the colonel's company on your way home from the pub on friday.

SHOOT DOWN DISCOMFORT

launch a preemtive strike on back pain befor it makes you think you're hungry. Stretch your calves and hamstrings every morning to release the tension work causes, says PT Tim Walker

STIMULATE YOUR SENSE

Swap your builder's for cup of strong americano (arabica beans are best). Coffe dampens the pain receptors that confuse discomfort with a need for food. Best administered in the morning.

SUPPLENT SMARTLY

If joe turns off the craving switch, this pulls the plug at the mains. CoEnzyme Q10  tablets up your body's ability to stay energised, calming a desire for more energy-giving carbs(ie crisps)

IF ALL ELSE FAILS GIVE IN

A little of what you fancy won't kill you. A study in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found sugar is craved more than anything else. Indulge in something sweet to avoid a bigger binge.