Poor diet on the job is costing countries around the world up to 20 percent in lost productivity. According to a new study by the United Nations International Labour Office (ILO), the problem is two-fold: the malnutrition that plagues developing countries and the excess weight and obesity that afflict mostly industrialized economies.

Noted Christopher Wanjek, the author of a new study on food in the workplace, "Poor meal programs and poor nutrition underlie so many [employment] issues: morale, safety, productivity, and the long-term health of the workers and nations. But few workers are happy with their meal arrangements." Wanjek also found that:

• In the U.S., the annual economic costs of obesity (insurance, paid sick leave, and other payments) is $12.7 billion.
  
• In India the cost of lost productivity, illness, and death due to malnutrition is between $10 and $28 billion.
  
• The world is facing a "food gap," with one out of six people on the planet undernourished, and an equal number overweight or obese.