I think we have all skipped a meal or two when we’ve been busy, especially lunch. Or maybe we substituted snacks for “normal” food. If you’ve seen my girth, you know I have been guilty of doing that. I can kid about it but a poor diet can become a real problem, especially for business owners.

The high cost of medical insurance should be enough to scare employers into action. Poor diets lead to obesity and other medical conditions that cause employees to spend too much time at the doctor’s office or even worse, in the hospital. Let’s not forget that lost time can wreak havoc on a work schedule, too.

I put the thought of a poor diet out recently and got a few responses, most in favor of trumpeting the dangers of a poor diet.

One person said it was best to lead by example, “The best way to influence someone to change is not by words but by me modeling the behavior I want repeated.”

Another person said, “I’m constantly talking with my guys about proper diet (because they eat very unhealthy). Did you know that a 12-ounce can of Coke has 10 teaspoons of sugar? I teach my guys to read labels. Make it a point to never consume anything with HFCS (high fructose corn syrup).”

But one respondent played the devil’s advocate, stating, “I think that workplace safety is extremely important, but what guys eat or drink is extremely NONE OF MY BUSINESS.”

Note the ALL CAPS - I hope he has a good insurance policy.