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Occupations that lead to obesity have been named
Last reviewed: 01.07.2025

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American sociologists decided to find out whether there are professions whose owners most often face the problem of excess weight. If you think that these are cooks, then you are mistaken.
Research firm Harris Interactive from New York found that travel agency managers, judges and lawyers are the most likely to carry extra pounds. Teachers are in fourth place, followed by architects and designers, personal assistants, doctors, police officers and firefighters (!), PR specialists and "IT specialists". As you can see, cooks did not even make it into the top ten.
The study found that over 26% of workers had gained more than 5 kg in their current employment, and 14% had gained 10 kg or more. Only 16% of survey participants admitted that their work had helped them lose weight. 54% of respondents sadly stated that they were gaining weight because they were sitting at their desks all day.
56% of those at these same desks eat lunch without getting up, which is another traditional risk factor for excess weight. 37% of respondents complain of stress, and only 23% said that they eat regularly. But 19% skip breakfast, lunch or dinner due to lack of time, 18% blame endless office "celebrations" and corporate parties for eating "junk" food, and 16% simply cannot resist chocolates and other sweets available at work.
The authors of the study emphasize that many employers take very good care of their employees’ nutrition, but visiting the gym is still weakly integrated into corporate culture, as are sports holidays for the entire office.