Gaining weight lately? Got an extra tire you’re
pretty sure you didn’t have before?

If you’re a travel agent or a judge, it’s not
your fault. Blame your job.

A new study suggests that some jobs or careers
are more fattening than others.

The survey of more than 5,700 workers across
industries found that two out of five workers (44 %) said they have gained
weight at their current job, with 26 % gaining over 10 pounds, and 14 % gaining
over 20 pounds. Sixteen percent said they lost weight. It’s not clear how long
the period is in which they are to have gained or lost the weight.

Some occupations were associated with higher
reported weight gain than others. And some are kind of surprising. Among the
most fattening jobs are travel agents, judges, social workers, teachers and
fire fighters…wait, what? Yes! I swear.

Here’s
the list of the top ten most fattening jobs.

· Travel Agent

· Attorney/Judge

· Social Worker

· Teacher

· Artist/Designer/Architect

· Administrative Assistant

· Physician

· Protective Services (Police, Firefighter)

· Marketing/Public Relations Professional

· Information Technology Professional

The jobs are either high stress or involve a lot
of sitting. People blamed their weight gain on sitting and chowing down on food
at the office, like birthday cake or lunch brought into the conference room.

Still it’s worth noting that 28 % of companies
provide gym passes, workout facilities or wellness benefits for their
employees, but only 10 % of workers say they take advantage.

It’s hard to work full time at a desk and stay
in shape. Before I moved into my current career position, which often involves
16-hour workdays, I worked as a Yoga teacher at various centres and gyms and
worked out at least five days a week. In the five years since I stopped doing
that I’ve gained far more weight – and lost far more muscle – than I care to
admit. I haven’t stepped on a scale since last year… too scary. Also, I’m
eating kettle chips as I type this.

So, I know. Trust me.

But there are things we can all do to keep from
ballooning to Jabba the Hut proportions.

These include the really obvious suggestions
people usually choose to ignore like not eating kettle chips, or birthday cake,
or meeting snacks. You are the master of your own destiny. Also, drinking water
and getting exercise. I know! You never thought of that!

You can also work standing up. Sitting for long
periods isn’t just bad for your weight, anyway. It’s also bad for your health
in general.

Certified exercise physiologist Travis Saunders
once told me about a 12-year
study, which found that people were more likely to die during the follow-up
if they spent most of the day sitting, regardless of how much exercise they
got. This finding is apparently turning out to be consistent.

So finding a place to stand and work is one
option. Standing burns about 50 more calories an hour than sitting too. You can
also build a treadmill desk or sit
on an exercise ball. Though some say the advantages of the latter or
questionable and it might be bad for your back.

Whatever you do, don’t become a travel agent.
It’s a dying industry anyway.