To say weight gain and loss, diets, exercise, fitness fads and anything related to our health gets ample media coverage is an understatement. Fitness and fatness is everywhere – there are surveys, diets, fitness classes and trends a plenty when it comes to staying in shape. To come to prominence in the last year or so are hard core fitness classes costing £20 a piece and designed to replace the need for a personal trainer with a full-body workout. In the City of London Barry’s Bootcamp, Psycle London and 1Rebel dominate. The “Strong not Skinny” motto was also coined during the 2012 Olympics and body trends continue to change fast.
Fighting Fat at Work
This is all well and good outside of work. However a quick hour’s class poses an entirely different set of problems from a minimum eight hour work day – five days a week. How do we not eat ourselves into submission – and consequent weight gain – when fatigue and on occasion tedium bite Monday to Friday?
So Who’s On The Naughty List?
HR Grapevine released recent data on the 10 industries most likely to make their staff fatter. Food industries actually make up a decent portion (pun intended) of the list with takeaway workers, chefs and supermarket workers making it into the top ten. Part of the reason thought for this oh-so-foody trend is the perks of the job – big discounts for workers in the food industry mean big discounts on food! Handy for dinner parties but not so much for the waistline.
A Sporadic Working Day
Shift workers also appear on the list – care workers, lorry drivers and taxi drivers too. Each of these professions has sporadic working hours in common. Being hungry at odd times of the day can take its toll on the waistline – routine is often a vital part of keeping the pounds off our tums…and in our wallets!
Office Woes
Office workers and business executives also struggle with weight gain according to the list. Long days and inactivity may pose more of a threat than excessive eating, as so few calories are burned sitting at a desk.
Unemployment
Unemployed individuals also struggle to maintain a healthier weight. The reason for this is likely to be a common one – being at home all day with no job makes for a new habit to while away the hours, and it often involves the fridge! For most (myself very much included) food and eating is highly pleasurable – so when tedium strikes, a snack or sandwich can prove the ideal distraction.
Resisting the biscuit tin is no easy task. But there’s an abundance of apps and other aids out there to help us save those precious inches – happy hunting!
Castle Hill House