Opting for a bite at your desk can save time during a hectic work day, but there's an unhealthy downside to eating at your desk. And it has nothing to do with the lingering smell of a co-worker's tuna sandwich or microwave popcorn. Desktop dining could leave you feeling ill, lethargic, and carrying a few more pounds than you'd like.
Consider this: the average desktop is home to 100 times more bacteria than a kitchen table and 400 times more than the average toilet seat. That's what a team of microbiologists from the University of Arizona learned when they measured bacterial levels inside offices located in New York, San Francisco, Tucson and Tampa.
The five most germ-contaminated spots were (in order) phones, desktops, water fountain handles, microwave door handles and keyboards. The office toilet seat had the lowest bacteria levels of the 12 surfaces tested.
Which reminds me of a germ-avoidance tip I once read: don't bother worrying about public toilet seats, but never, never shake hands with your doctor.