Office workers feel they’re gaining weight on the job

64 per cent of Americans that have or had worked in an office environment said that it caused their health and fitness levels to decline.

Not only that, a whopping nine in 10 who have gained weight while working an office job blame their workplace for playing a role.

A new study of 2,000 Americans, conducted by OnePoll on behalf of Jenny Craig, revealed quite a bit about how work and work stress can affect our health.

According to the poll, nearly seven in ten Americans (68 percent) say that they practice unhealthy habits at work. More than 65 percent of them agree that their job is the biggest reason why they struggle with their weight.

The average American office worker says they gained 12 pounds while working at their desk job.

The survey uncovered that the most common unhealthy habit of office workers is mindlessly snacking at their desk (51 percent), closely followed by sitting at a desk for hours on end (48 percent).

Over one in three (35 percent) also point to birthday celebrations with cake for coworkers as a cause for weight gain.

Stress is a factor when it comes to weight gain in the workplace. In fact, 68 percent of office workers say the stress of their job has contributed to their weight gain, with 61 percent saying they tend to eat more unhealthy foods when they are stressed at work.

The study also identified four main barriers for American office workers in their ability to achieve weight loss, which were stress, lack of time to prep and plan, cravings and will power.

And it’s not just at the office that our habits are affected — 42 percent of Americans say that ordering takeout because they’re too tired or busy to cook after work was a big reason for their weight gain, with the average American opting for takeout five times a week.