Sedentary working has led to weight gain for over a third of workers

More than two in five workers (41 percent) admit they have gained weight at their current jobs, with 18 percent confessing they have gained more than 10 pounds a survey from CareerBuilder.co.uk claims. Only 13 percent of workers claim they’ve lost weight in their current job with sedentary working, exhaustion and time constraints all being identified as obstacles to staying fit. The majority of workers (68 percent) say their employers do not provide gym passes, access to workout facilities or wellbeing benefits. Of these, 41 percent claim they would take advantage of such opportunities, yet only a quarter (24 percent) say their company provides such incentives. Over half of workers (58 percent) also spend most of their time sitting at their desk during the day and skipping proper meals due to time constraints.

“Work-related stress, lack of sleep and overly packed schedules can often get in the way of healthy eating and exercise habits,” says Scott Helmes, Managing Director of CareerBuilder UK. “Poor physical health, however, can also take a toll on mental health and work quality, so it’s important for workers to stay active, even if it just means taking small breaks throughout the day to walk around or stretch.”

When asked what they felt contributed to their expanding waistlines, workers gave the following reasons:

• Sitting at my desk most of the day – 58 per cent
• Too tired from work to exercise – 38 per cent
• No time to exercise before or after work – 34 per cent
• Eating because of stress – 32 per cent
• The temptation of the office biscuit tin – 28 per cent
• Having to skip meals because of time constraints – 18 per cent
• Workplace celebrations – 16 per cent
• Pressure to eat food co-workers bring in – 15 percent
• Eating out regularly – 13 per cent
• Happy hours – 6 per cent

Exercise is a key part of a healthy lifestyle, but it may not be enough to keep workers in their ideal shape. Though the majority of workers (69 per cent) exercise on a regular basis, and over 2 in 5 (42 per cent) claim to work out at least three days week, half (50 per cent) of workers feel they are overweight.

When it comes to eating habits, it’s hard for workers to resist the allure of snack foods and restaurant meals. Two thirds of workers (66 per cent) confess to snacking at work, and 47 per cent say they regularly eat out at work instead of packing a lunch. 22 per cent eat out three times a week or more.

The same amount of men report being overweight as women, with half (50 per cent) of both genders saying they feel overweight. Interestingly, men and women are equally as likely to exercise regularly too, with 69 per cent of men at least once per week, and 68 per cent of women.

The national survey was conducted online on behalf of CareerBuilder.co.uk of more than 1000 employees across the UK.