Is work making you fat?

When it comes to the obesity epidemic, poor eating habits and inadequate exercise are the lifestyle factors that receive most of the blame. However, new research suggests there might be a new kid on the block to blame for our expanding waistlines....and it's our jobs!

Over the last 50 years, there has been a shift away from occupations that require moderate intensity physical activity to occupations that are largely composed of sitting and sedentary behaviour. In fact, according to research published in the journal PLoS ONE our daily occupation-related energy expenditure has decreased by more than 420 kilojoules in both men and women. The US researchers also speculate that this reduction in occupational energy expenditure accounts for a large portion of the observed increase in mean weight in the US over the last five decades.

While this is the first detailed study to look at the impact work has on our waistlines, the results don't come as a surprise to me. Over the years, physical activity has been engineered out of our lives and few of us think about the effect this is having on our health. Sure we think about working out in the gym or going for a run, but few of us think about the incidental stuff like taking the stairs instead of the elevator even to go up a single level. Few of us get off a few bus stops early and walk the rest of the way to work, nor will we get up to talk to a colleague instead of emailing. All of these scenarios get us moving more at work, yet they're often thought of as inconveniences rather than opportunities.

While it's unlikely that the lost occupational-related energy expenditure can ever be completely restored to the workplace, we can increase the opportunities for movement. Employers can subsidize gym memberships or provide group personal training sessions for employees at lunch time. Employees can go outside each lunch break for a run or walk, or exercise before or after work everyday. Offices can be designed to encourage walking and promote face-to-face communication instead of emails.

Moving at work is a good thing, so make sure you include it as much as possible, without rewarding yourself with food or letting your emotions tempt you with large amounts of comfort food when stressed at work. However, it's important to remember that moving more at work is just one of the things you can do to keep your waistline down. Eating a healthy balanced diet, controlling stress levels and getting adequate sleep are also important, so make time for these also.