Obesity has become one of the most significant health issues anywhere in the world. In some cases more than 60% of adults are classed as being overweight or obese.

You will find that we have been working at your current job and your waistline has started expanding. You're completely focused on growing your career and pay cheque but at the same time we are not able to fit into the clothes any more. There are different physiological and psychological factors are at play which is deciding why you are becoming overweight and obese.

The causes

Stress

Stress can affect your body and mind in different negative ways. Even though stress may arise from different aspects of your life, but your work life, especially long hours on high demands can stress you out more. Physiological effects of stress can be bloating and swelling. It makes your intestine is more prone to irritation. It causes an increase feeling of being overwhelmed as a result of that you swallow more air causing bloating. Stress can also cause emotional eating where you reach out to comfort foods which is very high in sugar and carbs, or can be salty or greasy.

Lack of sleep

If you're not getting enough sleep it will definitely have harmful effects on your health and your mind. Deep sleep is very important for proper functioning the next day. If you know sleeping well, we tend to gravitate towards sugary and junk foods to increase your energy. Since your mind is not fully active, you also tend to make bad decisions, especially in case of your food. If you are sleep deprived, it will also slow down your metabolism and if you're overeating at the same time, it means adding more fat and weight to your body.

Sitting at your desk all day

Most of the jobs that we do today require us to sit throughout the day. This is something which is completely opposite to what our bodies are built for. If you sit at your desk for countless hours, it can have very bad physiological effects on your body. If you sit for a long time, the receptors on your muscles become resistant to insulin and that will result in reduced metabolism. Your muscles will not work as they are supposed to. Your portion will also take a hit.

Unhealthy temptations

When you have so many temptations laid out in front of you, how are you going to stop yourself from gorging on those? The food options that you have are endless and as a result of that it becomes more difficult for you to fight the urge to overeat and over snack. And mind you do that all the long, what will happen to your body and also to your mind? If you having chocolate latte, croissant, chocolate and other such stuff throughout the day, what do you expect the results will be? There are food courts and restaurants located near office or in your office building and the temptation to eat fast food and sugary, buttery treats are everywhere. So much of temptation makes it so difficult to avoid eating such foods and also overeating.

Managing obesity in the workplace

There are several issues related to obesity in employees. Misunderstanding, stigma, lifestyle outside work and several other issues that you will have to deal with when you're dealing with obesity. It will not only attract more criticism than sympathy but also has a level of stigma associated with.

References

1. The White Collar Warrior Bodyweight Workout System
2. Worksite Obesity Prevention Recommendations
3. Obesity prevention: the role of policies, laws and regulations