40% of workers have gained weight since starting present job

Nick Elvin

More than two in five workers (41%) have gained weight at their current jobs, with 18% confessing they have gained more than ten pounds, a new survey from CareerBuilder.co.uk reveals.

In fact, only 13% of all workers claim they’ve lost weight since starting in their current position.

The survey of more than 1,000 employees across the UK also looked at why workers feel they have gained weight. The top five reasons were: sitting at a desk most of the day (58%); too tired from work to exercise (38%); no time to exercise before or after work (34%); eating because of stress (32%); and the temptation of the office biscuit tin (28%).

Other reasons included having to skip meals because of time constraints; workplace celebrations; pressure to eat food co-workers bring in; eating out regularly; and happy hours.

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%) exercise on a regular basis, and 42% claim to work out at least three days week, 50% of workers feel they are overweight.

The majority of workers (68%) say their employers do not provide gym passes, access to workout facilities or wellbeing benefits. Of these workers, 41% claim they would take advantage of such opportunities. Only 24% say their company provides these types of incentives.

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

The same amount of men report being overweight as women, with 50% of both genders saying they feel overweight. Men and women are equally as likely to exercise regularly – 69% of men at least once per week, and 68% of women.

“Work-related stress, lack of sleep and overly packed schedules can often get in the way of healthy eating and exercise habits,” said 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.”