Is Your Job Making You Fat?

We all know jobs can be stressful, but are they the reason you're getting fatter? A recent study shows this may be true:

University of Rochester Medical Center researchers conducted the study of 2,782 employees at a large manufacturing facility in upstate New York, but the results could be applicable to almost any job situation in which layoffs, or lack of control at work, is a major concern.

The Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine published the research in January 2010.

Lead author Diana Fernandez, M.D., M.P.H., Ph.D., an epidemiologist at the URMC Department of Community and Preventive Medicine, said her study is among many that associate high job pressure with cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, depression, exhaustion, anxiety and weight gain. - Live Science Daily (click for full article on study)

Let me explain some of the science behind the physiological and psychological reasons your job is actually making you fat. First off, if you work a desk job you are a prime target for weight gain AND a protruding gut. How so? Our body produces a fat metabolizing enzyme called lipase which is produced when we are active and on our feet. When we sit for long periods of time, lipase stops acting thus decreasing our fat burning capabilities. That is just one DEEPER physiological reason we burn fat less efficiently while sitting. The more simple part of the equation is the fact that sitting all day requires very little metabolic demand which means your metabolism is moving like a rock AT LEASE 8 HOURS A DAY if you don't ever get up and move around. It is even worse if you do not regularly participate in physical activity. You can of course counteract these affects by taking regular breaks in your work day to stand up and walk around, as well as getting your daily dose of exercise.

What about that protruding stomach? Working a sedentary job weakens your core muscles and the intrinsic stabilizers of your trunk. Your transversus abdominis is like an internal corset and when the muscle weakens or is not tight, your stomach actually protrudes out. This sticking out of the gut makes weight gain appear more severe. You can fight this affect by performing isometric core stabilization exercises like planks (all forms of them!). Performing stabilization exercises for the core is KEY to functional health!

Stressful jobs as opposed to sedentary jobs are making us fat because of the psychological effects of stress. In the caveman days, the fight or flight response worked to keep us safe from getting eaten by other animals like lions, tigers and bears oh my! Now a days, our fight or flight response is triggered by bosses, deadlines, projects and profit margins. If the mind perceives stress, mentally or physically, the biological response is the same: increase in heart rate, blood pressure goes up, rapid breathing and adrenaline races through the body to ensure survival. The problem for us now is that we could run away from the bear and be safe, but most of us can't outrun the daily grind. Chronic stress has proven to predispose people to weight gain and cardiovascular disease due to the constant triggering of the fight or flight response and the increased presence of  the catabolic hormone cortisol.  You can counteract your daily stresses with periodic breaks in the day, meditation and what do you know, EXERCISE!

The moral of the story: GET YOURSELF ON A DAILY EXERCISE PROGRAM TO FIGHT FAT AND RELIEVE STRESS!!!!