According to an annual survey from Career Builder, almost half of working Americans say their job and their weight are linked. 45% of people said their current job has made them gain weight: 49% of women, and 40% of men.
Over half of those people said they've gained more than 10 pounds because of their job, and about 1 in 5 say more than 20. Here are the top ten reasons our jobs make us gain weight, according to the survey:
1. Sitting at a desk all day. There's another new study out that just found the average office worker sits at their desk for a total of six-and-a-half hours a day.
2. Being too tired to exercise because of your job.
3. Stress eating and snacking too much.
4. No time to exercise.
5. Dipping into the office candy jar.
6. Eating out for lunch too often.
7. Workplace celebrations, like birthday parties with cake.
8. Skipping meals because of time constraints, which messes with your metabolism.
9. Too many post-work happy hours.
10. The pressure to eat stuff your co-workers bring in, like donuts.
There are things that you can do to help: commit to getting to bed earlier, bringing healthier lunches (and snacks) from home, getting a smaller serving of office food (like cake), and using a device (smart watch or phone) to remind you to stand up and leave your desk (briefly) every hour.
Here, "The Biggest Loser" Trainer Dolvett Quince shows you how to burn calories, even when you're sitting at a desk all day long: