Blame The Workplace For American Obesity

A mere 6.5 percent of U.S. adults get enough physical activity while they're working, according to a first-of-its-kind national estimate reported Thursday in the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Another report, published Wednesday in the journal PLoS ONE, further suggests that America's obesity epidemic can be blamed on the steady rise of sedentary jobs.

Conducted by researchers out of Pennington Biomedical Research Center, the study looked at the level of physical activity in U.S. occupations since 1960. The conclusion? The energy we burn at work has dropped on average by more than 100 calories over the last 50 years -- for both men and women.

While it may not come as a surprise that we're spending less time on the factory floor and more time in a chair in front of the computer, the study was the first to put an actual caloric figure on our increasingly sedentary 9-5's.

The report states:

In the early 1960's almost half the jobs in private industry in the U.S. required at least moderate intensity physical activity, whereas now less than 20 percent demand this level of energy expenditure.

Careers in manufacturing, mining, logging and agriculture have decreased in the past five decades; they made up 30 percent of private-sector jobs in the 1960s versus 12 percent at present. Meanwhile service jobs like professional services, health and education, and leisure and hospitality have more than doubled.

Most Americans spend the biggest chunk of their waking hours at work, and the likelihood we'll see a cultural shift toward more physically active jobs is slim. Thus, the study posits, it's crucial to encourage physical activity during free time, or think of creative solutions to get moving in the workplace.

From The New York Times:

The new emphasis on declining workplace activity also represents a major shift in thinking, and it suggests that health care professionals and others on the front lines against obesity, who for years have focused primarily on eating habits and physical activity at home and during leisure time, have missed a key contributor to America’s weight problem. The findings also put pressure on employers to step up workplace heath initiatives and pay more attention to physical activity at work.

In a Huffington Post blog post this month, U.S. Olympic gold medalist and fitness trainer Natasha Hastings offered up some advice for how to fit exercise into a busy work day.

What are your tips for staying active despite your desk job?

Comments

[rebeccalewis90]

03:44 PM on 05/31/2011

haha i'm eating cake at my desk as we speak cuz it was someone's birthday. but no one forced me to eat it. i made a calculated decision and take full responsibility for my choices! :)

[mzrecycle]

02:11 PM on 05/31/2011

More than once I've seen coverage of a man who set up his computer at work not at his desk, but in front of a treadmill. He simply walks while working at the computer. Walking at a modest pace most of the day instead of sitting makes a huge difference. He had the freedom to put the treadmill there. I'm clear that many workers may not. Although, if companies and bosses realize they get more productivity and less illness, they would insist that all workers do this.

[lovelybunchofcoconuts]

10:09 AM on 05/31/2011

The real issue is the actual food in the workplace. Donuts, pralines, one thing and another all day long. And not content to use food to console themselves for their existential lack of fulfillment, they have to force it on each other. ESPECIALLY when they know someone is trying to lose weight, go figure. Not that I blame anyone, everyone's just trying to muddle through, lord knows it isn't easy.

[Cheryl Birch]

09:43 AM on 05/31/2011

Even having a physically active job, you can easily take in excessive calories, which is the main culprit in obesity. Physical activity is important for overall well being, but physical activity can only burn so many calories extra. The maximum level of calories that one can burn is only about 700-800 calories in an hour, and that is a high intensity work out. An extra "personal" sized bag of chips (like those in vending machines) easily compensates for that deficit in calories created by that exhausting work out.

Americans are suffering from disordered eating habits. We are constantly consuming high calorie beverages, processed, empty calories, and over indulging on our portion sizes. While exercise may be motivation to adjust your diet, the exercise alone, will do little to "cure" obesity. So pleases, don't blame your job for obesity.

[Dr Debrup Chatterjee]

05:19 AM on 05/31/2011

Every job requires different ways to deal with it.There are jobs where you just got to sit for the pay and hence you are paid for it so must not mingle up all of it , Healthy diet,sleep,activities are the key to health and one must concentrate upon that.High calorie beverages and junk foods are the main cause of the problem so quit them from your regular diet chart.Best thing that i have seen people who uses their cycle as a transport,this is the exact thing that is needed for our day to day life .. :-) so " Quit your cars ! ".

[Tim Chipp]

11:43 PM on 05/30/2011

Personally, I'm a fan of the "everything in moderation" approach. You don't need to run 10 miles every day, you don't need to eat only organic foods every day. You can eat your sweets and fast food, but you need to moderate it. Portion control, like in Weight Watchers, is good for everyone, whether you're 400 pounds, or 110; whether you want to lose weight or remain where you are. Figure out what you're trying to do, and make it happen. And don't let silly enablers get in your way of doing what you need to do, like Friday pizza parties or the cookies your coworker decided to bring in. If you fail, you only have yourself to blame. Because you made the choice to fail, no one else made it for you.

[Chris Bryer]

01:41 PM on 05/30/2011

Lets blame old white men for lazy people too. Are you kidding? 30 minutes a day is not hard to come by. Thats all it takes to be healthy. Bring your food to work and dont do fast food. Easily done.

Why tell the truth when I can blame the workplace and the man.

[seereene1]

04:53 PM on 05/30/2011

Sorry, it's just not that simple. What works for one doesn't always work for another. I can not eat fast food, run for an hour in the pool, work out on the stair stepper, never drink sugary drinks - all of which I do five days a week and still be nowhere near what anyone would call a normal weight. My brother is even stricter and more avid exerciser than I am, and neither is he. Genetics, stress, and working long hours plays a definite factor in obesity.

[Tim Chipp]

11:20 PM on 05/30/2011

Without knowing you at all, I'm calling you out here. Sure, you may not look like a supermodel and your brother might not look like a professional athlete, but there is absolutely no way either of you are obese if you follow what you listed above. Keep in mind, obesity is a specifically defined term, not something a fat person feels looking in the mirror. Obesity isn't subjective. Programs like Weight Watchers (which I have seen work through relatives of mine) prove that proper eating and exercise are the two basic things needed to curb obesity as a nationwide epidemic.

[michael medeiros]

10:44 AM on 05/30/2011

You can also add the fact that we work many more hours to try to make it. Second job, long hours, all lead to the problem. It is a lot tougher to try and stick to a health diet when you are working so much. Not having time to have six small meals can lead to eating more later.
http://exerciseandnutritiontips.com

[GearRatio]

04:58 PM on 05/29/2011

Very lucky to work for an outfit that will let me take my "lunch hour" at local ice rink, practicing 3 turns, spins, jumps.... and burning ~ 500 kcal/hr. Keeps me a bit on the scrawny side, but, cardiologist gives me a "clean bill" come yearly exam time.

[mass maritimer]

02:03 PM on 05/29/2011

I just started a job where I'm required to walk. I lost 1 kilo since Friday

[letvs]

11:53 AM on 05/29/2011

Really? Talk about denial. Plenty of people in other countries have that same workplace routine. Stop eating all that processed food at those horrible chain restaurants at any time your hunger pangs strike you. Eat healthily and in moderation....

[mm1970]

05:18 PM on 05/31/2011

I know people in other countries like Denmark and the UK. Yes, they have sedentary jobs. But they walk or bike to work, on the order of 45 min to 2 hours a day.

[thebearschick]

09:43 AM on 05/29/2011

Sorry, no. Don't blame anyone but yourself for your problems. Walking around the block is free. If you don't have a lunch hour to use for walking, get up early or do it at night. I run 2-3 days a week and it only takes 20 minutes each time.

Also, your job isn't force-feeing you junk food, which is another huge component of the problem. These days there is actually an abundance of somewhat healthy fast-food. Go to subway and skip the mayo. Or, pack your lunch and put it in the fridge at work.

[jimmyjack frankentoast]

01:18 PM on 05/29/2011

i agree with most of what you said, but most of the 'healthy' fast food actually has as much sugar, calories, fat, and sodium as their regular menu items. not to mention that processed meats significantly increase the one's risk for colorectal cancer, or that PhIP and heterocyclic amines are carcinogens found in cooked meat products.

[ninjasrolled]

03:48 PM on 05/29/2011

Actually, I (don't tell the other liberals) eat at Starbucks a lot. Great sandwiches, fruit, cheese and nut packs, salads, pastas, hummus with carrots, all-fruit/veg smoothies by Naked...all good stuff. No processed food there; they've been working on making it better and better for a while. Go non-fat, skip the whip, no pumps of syrup...you can have a great lunch.

[calico1]

08:39 AM on 05/29/2011

I have seen where a few companies have installed treadmills with desks or computers so people walk as they work. Not fast but at least they burn calories. What I do is skip most of the office celebrations. The birthday cakes, the pizza lunches, etc. Or the baked goods from the lady who loves to bake things. All this adds up. I also bring my own lunch and snacks. It's cheaper and I know what's in it and I can control the calories. As for exercise that is something you have to make time for. If you wait until you have time left over you will never do it. You have to fit it in just like showering, eating, etc. I used to work for a company in a very nice neighborhood. I would walk at lunch time and eat at my desk while working. I understand that in some neighborhoods it isn't really safe or there are no roads that allow you to walk or jog safely. I have experienced that. In that case I exercise at home. Just get up earlier or exercise after work and before dinner. It isn't always easy but I do my best.

[Cady Manin]

01:56 AM on 05/29/2011

No. Blame Americans for American obesity. Whatever happened to accepting responsibility for your own actions? (..or in this case the lack thereof)

[LukeTunyich]

07:37 PM on 05/29/2011

Who will accept the responsibility for the bad science of obesity?

If you read the article: “Misconception about Counting Calories and Weight Management” you will know what I mean. The link to the article is: http://www.biomechanicsandhealth.com/calories.htm

[50PlusSam]

01:53 AM on 05/29/2011

Sedentary job doesn't say that you have to sit to a manger and ruminate endlessly and grow your buttocks.
http://www.lifestyle-after50.com/fitness.html