Survey Results Give New Meaning to 'Gainful' Employment

August 8, 2006 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - Forty-six percent of workers surveyed by CareerBuilder.com say they have gained some amount of weight since starting their current jobs.

According to a CareerBuilder.com press release, one-in-five respondents to its “Work and Health” survey say they have gained more than 10 pounds since starting their current job. Nearly one-in-ten say they are 20 pounds heavier.

Weight gains by job type, according to the release, include:

  • Government – 57%,
  • IT – 54%,
  • Accounting/finance – 53%,
  • Sales – 39%, and
  • Retail – 35%.

Some survey results indicate habits that could be contributing to the worker weight gain. One-third of respondents say they buy their lunches instead of bringing them at least three times a week, while 12% report they eat out Monday through Friday. Additionally, one-third of workers surveyed say they snack at least twice a day at work, and 40% eat more unhealthy snacks at work than they do at home.

“Unfortunately, employers are complicating matters by supplying far more vending machines than wellness incentives. Eighty percent of workers report their companies don’t offer gym passes, workout facilities or weight loss programs to help them stay in shape, up from 73 percent last year,” said Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com, in the release.

More than 2,200 workers responded to the online survey.

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