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Of all of the health threats workers deal with in sedentary, computer-facing jobs–carpal tunnel, eye strain and backaches–there is one that gets far less attention: waist expansion.
In fact, according to a new study by CareerBuilder.com, 34 percent of IT workers said they have gained more than 10 pounds in their current jobs, while 17 percent say they’ve gained at least twice that.
It could be worse–these employees could work in financial services or government, where 53 percent and 52 percent of workers respectively told CareerBuilder they’d gained weight in their current positions.
But it is clear that being sedentary for 40-plus hours a week has an effect on body mass, as evidenced by the fact that retail and hospital employees, who can be on their feet the entire day, had the lowest weight gain among all industries surveyed, reported by only 36 and 41 percent of workers, respectively.
Of course, lousy eating habits seal the deal. 38 percent of employees said they ate out for lunch two or more times per week, where it is difficult to control portions and calorie intake. And a depressing 12 percent said they bought their lunch out of a vending machine at least once a week, eating food loaded with fat, salt and sugar, and pitifully low on nutrients.
Only 9 percent of employees said they made it to the gym over their lunch hour, though 28 percent of companies said they provided gym passes, workout facilities or wellness benefits.