Why eating at work can pack on the pounds, new study claims

You might want to think twice before you reach for that bagel or doughnut at the office.

Research conducted by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention found that the foods people are eating at work, even food from the building cafeteria or vending machine, can be high in salt and refined grains.

The study followed more than 5,000 employed adults across the U.S. and tracked the food and drinks they purchased at work, plus the free stuff beside the water cooler.

The result: Among the most commonly selected items are coffee, regular and diet soft drinks, sandwiches, salads, pizza and baked goods.

According to an epidemiologist for the CDC, in a given seven-day period, almost a quarter of the employees in the study consumed almost 1,300 calories from food they got at work. Sometimes it would be in a single snack. About 70 percent of those calories were from the free food.