Which occupations lead to obesity?
Are there occupations that are less healthy for you than others?
Maybe. According to the results of a study published this month in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, there is a direct link between high levels of obesity risk and certain types of occupation.
The answer to this question may really surprise you. Using data from a national survey, as well as personal weight and height data provided by study participants, the researchers analyzed how obesity rates were distributed across 19 different occupational categories.
They found that the six categories with the highest rates of obesity were manufacturing, healthcare, social assistance, transport, warehousing, information, utilities and public administration, with the latter among the most at risk .
After the authors of the study took into account factors such as race, gender, as well as the health behavior of the respondents (whether the employees smoke, drink alcohol, do sports, whether they eat healthy etc.), three occupational categories were found to have significantly higher than average rates of obesity. These are the public administration and health care and social assistance.
That public administration ranks first among the occupations most at risk of being overweight is not so surprising.
People in the public sector sit all day in a chair behind a desk and after a stressful long day at work, the last thing on their mind is to go for sports or a walk.
But it is a complete shock that those employed in health care are also among the risk groups of the occupations leading to obesity. One would think that people who work in this sector would know best what is healthy and healthy for them, how to not gain extra pounds and how to keep fit. Yes, but no.
The study authors suggest that this surprising result has something to do with the characteristics of certain jobs that fall into the healthcare and social assistance sectors.
It is true that doctors and nurses can be on the go all day, but this does not apply to people working at the front desk, nor to the medical personnel who deal with administration and clerical work.
Furthermore, a study conducted by the National Health Interview shows that people employed as clerical health care workers and receiving lower wages generally have much higher rates of obesity< /strong> than the better paid ones.
What is the conclusion? That it is not so important what exactly you do, but what is the amount of salary you receive.
Other occupations that also carry a high risk of obesity include engineering, mining, administrative services, education, agriculture and forestry, hunting and fishing, wholesale and retail trade, services, finance and insurance.
Last in the rankings for obesity-risk occupations are the tourism and restaurant industry, professional services, art, show business and recreation, real estate and leasing.
Of course, there are many other factors that can contribute to the unhealthy effects caused by the type of work you do. Another study found that people who worked more than 40 hours a week were significantly more likely to be obese. Also at risk were people who worked in hostile workplace environments.
