Is your job making you fat and unhappy? A third of engineering professionals say so

With Christmas fast approaching, many of us will no doubt be gaining a few pounds over the festive season.

But, for almost a third of engineering professionals, it doesn’t stop there, with 29.1% admitting that their job has led them to gain weight.



That’s according to the latest study from CV-Library, the UK independent job board.

The survey of 1,200 workers sought to explore the affect our jobs have on our health, our weight and our happiness.

Of those that admit that they have gained weight because of their current job, the majority (64%) said that this has left them feeling unhappy.

Engineering professionals identified a number of causes for weight gain at work.

The top five reasons include:

* Working long days that don’t leave time to fit in exercise – 56%

* Sitting at a desk all day – 41%

* Snacking a lot at work – 40%

* Colleagues bringing in unhealthy snacks – 32%

* Eating more due to stress at work – 20%

Lee Biggins, founder and managing director of CV-Library, comments on the findings: “Living a healthy lifestyle can sometimes feel like a job in itself, so it’s unsurprising to see that work has an impact on the eating and exercise habits of many engineering professionals.

“That said, it’s worrying to learn that such a high percentage are unhappy as a result.

“Weight gain at work is understandable, particularly if you sit at a desk all day and struggle to fit in going to the gym or taking part in exercise before or after work.

“While it can be tricky, it’s vital to make looking after your health as much a part of your routine as going to work each day.

“Try getting up that bit earlier, or ensuring you leave work on time to fit in a trip to the gym. Alternatively walk to work if you can, or take a stroll on your lunch break.

“Snacking can be tempting, so be sure to take a healthy lunch and snacks to work with you. This can reduce the temptation to reach for the donuts in the staff room!”

What’s more, 53.4% of workers in the engineering sector revealed that there are other aspects of their job that made them feel unhappy.

For the majority (36.2%) it is because they have long commutes. This was followed closely by finding their job boring (27.6%), working for a company with poor culture (23.4%), not getting on with their boss (19.1%) and having a poor work-life balance (19%).

The majority (83%) of those who are unhappy with aspects of their job admit that they do proactively try to make themselves feel better.

In fact, 59% talk to their colleagues when they’re feeling down, 20.5% browse social media and 17.9% take regular breaks.

Biggins concludes: “We spend a lot of our time at work, so it’s important that our job makes us happy. While it’s good to see that some professionals in the engineering sector are taking positive steps to make themselves feel better at work, if you’re suffering from a poor work-life balance, being overworked or long commutes, it’s unlikely that regular breaks or browsing Facebook will solve the problem in the long term.

“Instead it could be time to speak to your manager about getting a better balance or taking the next step in your career.

“Alternatively, it may even be time to look for a new opportunity elsewhere with the potential to do something you love. So why not kick-start 2018 with a bang?”