IT Workers Lead U.S. in Weight Gain on the Job
Heavy Admission
55% of workers categorize themselves as overweight.
Tech Challenge
50% of IT employees have gained weight on the job—tops among all vocations—compared to 39% of U.S. workers overall.
Consequences of Scale
39% say they’ve gained weight at their current job, with 21% putting on more than 10 pounds.
Weighty Load
44% of managers say they’ve added pounds in their current job, compared to 38% of non-managers.
Generational Divide
40% of those 35 and older have gained weight on the job, compared to 30% of those 24 or younger.
Gender Differences
46% of women workers say they’ve gained weight on the job, compared to 33% of males.
Slim Status
18% of professionals say coworkers who are fit and thin are shown more favoritism in the office.
Troublesome Treats
21% of workers who have gained weight blame it on colleagues who bring treats into the office.
Get Circulated
42% of employees don’t exercise regularly, and 13% don’t do so at all.
Best Practices: Get Up, Stand Up
Find excuses to move around: Take stairs instead of elevators. Get up and walk to co-workers’ desks to converse instead of using e-mail or the phone.
Best Practices: Pack It In
28% of employees who’ve gained weight say they dine out too often. So pack your lunches to help control portions and avoid unhealthy impulse choices like junk or fast food.
Best Practices: A Little Goes a Long Way
Keep tiny, healthy snacks such as fruit at your desk. Focus on smaller but more frequent nutritious meals instead of large, heavy portions.