Occupation could affect your weight, says study

According to a new study, your occupation could have an affect on whether you are overweight or not, according to dailymail.co.uk.

The data was taken from the Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index, which took a random sample from 138,438 employees in the US aged 18 or over. It found that certain job occupations were more likely to lead to obesity. This included transportation staff (bus, air and rail) where 36 per cent were said to be obese.

Other industries where workers were also likely to be overweight included manufacturing and production staff (29.9 per cent), installation or repair workers (28.3 per cent) and clerical or office staff (26.6 per cent).

It is thought that people in these careers were likely to be overweight as a result of poor pay, unhealthy diets, a lack of exercise and a history of depression. Those who are suffering from obesity may want to visit their GP who could recommend a healthy eating plan or other solutions such as counselling courses.

Ed Watt, the Director of Health and Safety for the Transport Workers Union of America AFL-CIO said he wasn't surprised by the data. He told lifeinc.today.com: "First the sedentary nature of the work, sitting much of the day with the inability to move around, even for bathroom breaks."

He added: "The other factor is that these jobs are highly stressful. The stress of the jobs results from high demand and low control over the work."