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Is the lunch break becoming obsolete?

How are you spending your lunch breaks? Are you meeting a friend for a bite and then taking a leisurely stroll? Or are you more likely to grab something from the cafeteria and ram the contents of a polystyrene food container into your face while wrestling with the contents of a spreadsheet?

According to a recent American study conducted by career management firm Rights Management, 65% of workers eat their lunch at their desks or don't even bother to take a break.

But is this habit helping productivity…or hindering it?

Also see: Is boredom the new workplace stress?

In a recent Slate article entitled "Let's Do Lunch," Rachael Levy urges too-busy-to-eat North Americans to embrace a European-style reverence for an established mealtime break, citing its positive health and networking benefits:

The lunch break is a chance to refresh the mind and socialize with friends and co-workers. You've already been in class or work all morning, and you're about to do it again all afternoon. By taking those few moments to breathe, you come out feeling refreshed and invigorated. At work, time spent chatting with colleagues can lead to great ideas and cross-pollination between departments. And if you've broken bread with colleagues at lunch, it's going to be easier to approach them in the professional sphere.

Also see: The pursuit of happiness can make you less happy

According to Forbes, your lunch hour is better spent going for a run, planning a group team-building field trip or hanging out in the lunch room, rather than sitting hypnotized and cross-eyed in front of your computer.

While skipping the odd lunch in favour of buckling down on a heavy workload isn't such a bad thing, it's probably a good idea to not make a habit of it.

Watch the video below about whether your commute to work is making you fat.