The Jobs With the Highest Obesity Rates

You may not realize it but what you do for a living can have a dramatic and direct impact upon your waistline, and these are the jobs with the highest obesity rates. Yes, what you do each and every day for your job can really impact your weight. This has a lot to do with the type of activity that you do and the lifestyle that you lead. When you look at a job such as a doctor, there is a very low obesity rate there due to education and lifestyle.

However, when you look at some of these jobs with the highest obesity rates some of them are quite obvious for this classification. So, if you are wondering what your job may have to do with your weight overall, this is a good thing to look at so that you can try to make any necessary changes.

The Data Shows That These Are the Problem Areas

These are by far the jobs with the highest obesity rates that additional work must be done to work against to protect a healthy lifestyle.

Truck Driving

It may be rather obvious as to why this is by far one of the top jobs with the highest obesity rates. As a matter of fact it’s ranked top of the list. In this job you are driving and sitting for long periods of time and that contributes to a sedentary lifestyle. Many within this occupation also don’t necessarily eat well when they are on the road for this long. So these two factors can combine to make for a very unhealthy situation. Though it’s not a hard fact, those that are truck drivers have a tendency to be overweight or obese.

Manufacturing/Production

Though you might think that the actual work of being on a production line or working in a manufacturing environment would cause you to burn calories, this too is considered one of the top jobs with the highest obesity rates. This may due to demographics or even lifestyle more than anything, but there are definitely statistics to support this overall.

Clerical/Office Worker

This has a lot to do with the fact that those working within this occupation spend most of their time sitting behind a desk. There is very limited physical activity as workers are sitting at a computer or handling small tasks that may never even cause them to get up. It may be easy to eat the wrong foods which also contributes to the weight problem.

Service/Repair

Rounding out the list of jobs with the highest obesity rates is those that work within the service or repair industry. This may be due to the fact that workers don’t have as much physical activity overall, though more than others on the list. Also adding to the fact is that those within this job have to eat on the run and that makes for often unhealthy choices. So being mindful of this within each of these jobs can ensure that you make good choices and try to beat the odds.

What to Do if Your Job Increases Your Risk of Obesity

If you work in any of these jobs with the highest obesity rates, then you are at a definite disadvantage in your weight control.  That said, it doesn’t mean that you’re destined to be overweight.  You don’t need to be a victim of your body weight just because you’ve chosen a career track through one of those positions.

Steps to Improve Weight Control Despite Jobs with the Highest Obesity Rates

Use these steps to help you to keep control over your weight, even if you work in one of the jobs with the highest obesity rates:

• Plan as much food as you can – It’s true that you may not be able to stick to a set eating schedule every day, but as much as possible, plan your meals and have the right ingredients ready for them.
• Prepare meals in advance – Use some of your (precious) time off to prepare large batches of homemade meals. One or two per weekend will let you save portions that you can store in your freezer.  After a few weekends, you’ll end up with enough stockpiled meals that you can go for quite some time without having to cook.  You can just thaw and reheat a perfectly nutritious homemade meal.
• Pack your lunches and snacks – Whether you have time for a full lunch or many snacks, bring them with you. Pack lots of nutritious foods that you can eat on the go so you can control the types of foods you eat even if you can’t choose when you eat them.
• Exercise as soon as you get up – Your job doesn’t carve out enough time for you to exercise at lunch or afterward. Instead, do your workout when you first wake up. It will make sure you get it done and – as much as it may seem counter-intuitive – it will fill you with energy to start your day.
• Prioritize sleep – As much as you possibly can, get a good sleep at night.  You may not be able to regulate your schedule, but you can pay attention to other important parts of your sleep hygiene. This can include shutting off devices an hour before bedtime, dimming the lights before bed, using your bed for only sleep and sex, and keeping your home cool while you sleep. Better sleep helps you to control your hormones and cravings.