These 10 Jobs Make You Gain Weight

Introduction

Job hunting hub CareerBuilder.com released the results of a survey that tells us 44% of American workers have gained weight at their current job. 26% gained over 10 pounds and 14% gained a whopping 20.

Weight gain isn’t the only health risk associated with having a job — previous studies have found that spending too much time working at a desk can lead to an increased risk of diabetes, cancer and death — yes, death.

What’s causing us to get fat at work? The CareerBuilder survey found that the most commonly reported causes of weight gain include sitting at a desk all day, eating lunch on the job, stress-induced eating and dining out regularly.

Here are the ten jobs where employees are most likely to gain weight:

#1 Travel agent

These people need to try their best to please each customer, planning and organizing their trips. The process involves much pressure and stress because, apart from clients’ needs, there are always sales targets travel agents have to reach. Plus, the role involves hours of sitting.

#2 Attorney

In this field, stress and pressure are common things. So eating because of anxiety and not controlling portions and calorie counts make it one of the jobs most likely to make you gain weight.

#3 Health care

Even health care workers can’t avoid on-the-job weight gain. Forty-eight percent had gained weight since starting their job. A high-stress environment and long hours could be to blame, according to a study from the University of Maryland’s School of Nursing, which found that 55% of nurses were overweight or obese.

In a separate survey by Medscape, 42% of male physicians and 32% of female physicians said they were overweight or obese. Many doctors reported exercising infrequently, with roughly half of those under 40 saying they worked out once per week or less.

#4 Teacher

When you hear the word "teacher," what image comes to mind first? A person sitting at a desk, right? Teachers sometimes sit at their desks while giving lectures, and they also do all their administrative work while sitting: preparing for their classes, grading, checking attendance, etc.

#5 Artist, designer, and architect

These occupations go hand in hand with flexible hours and independent work. Since such professionals mostly rely on creativity and inspiration, they don’t have to stick to strict schedules. The same applies to their meals. They eat when they want, and they work while sitting.

#6 Administrative assistant

Another sedentary role that involves always being ready to help others. The job is connected with too much stress and anxiety on an everyday basis, not to mention a classic example of a bad lunch habit: eating right in front of the computer.

#7 Scientist

The intellectual often goes side-by-side with a lack of mobility. Being too eager to learn more and discover new things, these professionals sometimes forget about healthy eating habits. At NASA, for example, they encourage exercises during working hours and promote programs against weight gain.

#8 Police officer

The image of a policeman eating donuts is classic, isn’t it? But have you ever wondered why? This profession is one of the most stressful, and just think of all the office work they have to deal with. For these guys, eating is often the only effective way to fight stress.

#9 Sales

Forty-six percent of people with careers in sales said they’d gained weight in their current job. Stress could be a reason why this jobs seems more likely to make you fat – 73% of people working in this field rated their job as high stress, according to a survey by Payscale. People working in sales were also somewhat more likely to smoke and less likely to get enough fruits and vegetables in their diet compared to the general population, a survey of workers in Washington state found.

#10 IT

Thirty-eight percent of IT workers said they’d gained weight in their current job. A 2012 report from the Milken Institute found that the more a country invests in information technology, the more obesity rates climb as people spend longer hours in front of their screens and less time exercising. Is it any wonder that the IT workers charged with keeping this technology infrastructure running are among those more likely to report putting on a few pounds?

Other causes for job weight gain:

Other scapegoats for weight gain on the job (besides sitting on our butts all day) are stress (37% said they gained weight because of stress), eating out with coworkers/clients (23%), workplace celebrations (18%) and the pressure to eat the delicious treats their coworkers bring into the office (10%--damn you and your cookies).

Of course, your employer (or profession of choice) isn’t entirely to blame for those extra pounds. According to CareerBuilder, more and more companies are doing their aprt to implement healthy living and fitness initiatives. “29% of companies provide gym passes, workout facilities or wellness benefits for their employees,” says CarrerBuilder’s VP of human resources Rosemary Haefner. “But only 10% of workers say they take advantage of the benefit.”

Meaning it’s more about you than your career. Over on Jezebel, Cassie Murdoch looks at the flip side of the “oh my god we need to exercise more” conversation, citing another recent survey:

people who go to the gym regularly make nine percent more in salary on average than those who don't work out. This study tries to prove that it is the actual working out, and not the personality type (i.e. those who are motivated to work out might be more motivated at work and make more, etc.) that matters, but that seems a bit questionable.

Here's some tips you should try:

1. Walk more. You can do this by taking the stairs instead of an elevator or walking over to a co-worker's desk instead of sending them an instant message or email.

2. Snack healthy. If you're sitting most of the day, it's easy to constantly snack while you're working.

In fact, 16 percent of respondents in the survey attributed their weight gain to snacking on available office goodies. If you tend to be a person who snacks throughout the day, bring along healthy alternatives, such as vegetables and fruits.

Also, drink lots of water instead of caffeinated drinks.

3. Bring your lunch. Eating out all the time might be convenient, but it's not going to do much for your waistline.

4. Exercise while you work. Get an exercise ball or a yoga chair you can rock on while you work. You can also keep weights at your desk that you can pick up throughout the day.

The study included more than 5,700 employees in different industries and was conducted by Harris Interactive.