Higher than expected BMI in a chocolate factory

Introduction
Since 2002 the occupational health physician of a chocolate factory yearly records several health indicators during medical examinations. From the beginning the number of obese workers was remarkable. Could the fact of working in this factory where high quality chocolate products are made, contain an obesity risk?

Methods
From 2002 to 2010, BMI of the employees (between 450 and 465) of a chocolate factory was carefully followed. The evolution of the number of obese workers (BMI ≥30) was compared to the number of obese workers in the overall population examined by a Belgian Occupational Health Service, Idewe (between 202.148 and 261.837).

Results
A difference in number of obese workers was observed between the chocolate factory and the population examined by Idewe (19% versus15% in female -20% versus 17% in male in 2002). Remarkable, the difference between the chocolate factory and the whole population examined by Idewe got more important throughout the years (25% versus 18% in female - 30% versus 19% in male in 2010). 

Discussion
While the number of obese employees (all companies) between 2002 and 2010 is increasing slowly the number of employees in the chocolate company that are obese is clearly growing faster. Shift work and social factors have to be taken into account but these factors can’t explain everything. One of the reasons of this remarkable difference could be the easy accessibility of the chocolate products during the working hours in this factory. 
To find explanations for these results more investigations have to be done.