Public release date: 12-May-2005

Contact: Tea Lallukka

358-50-539-5059
University of Helsinki

Work fatigue and working overtime are associated with weight gain


A recently published study "Psychosocial working conditions and weight
gain among employees" is part of the ongoing Helsinki Health Study,
carried out in the University of Helsinki, Department of Public Health.

The study population consisted of 7000 women and 2000 men, aged 40-60y.
All participants are employees of the City of Helsinki, therefore, it
was possible to examine the associations between various working
conditions and weight gain.

Fourth of women and 19% of men reported that they had gained weight
during the previous year.

RISK GROUPS - More Weight Gain - Fatigue & Overtime

The study revealed some risk groups, where weigh gain was more common
than in other groups. Especially work fatigue was strongly associated
with weight gain. Work fatigue measures pre-stage for burn out. Those
who report work fatigue 'feel totally worn out after a day at work',
'feel tired in the morning when they have to get up and go to work',
'have to work too hard', 'feel like totally exhausted', 'report that
their work is definitely too stressful', and 'they worry about their
work even when they are off duty'. Working overtime was defined as
working over 40 hours a week.

Among women, dissatisfaction in combing paid work and family life was
associated with weight gain. Among men, this association was weaker,
although the pattern was similar to that for women: men who were
somewhat satisfied in combining paid work and family life were more
likely to have gained weight compared to men fully satisfied with it.
Furthermore, job demands were associated with weight gain: men with high
job demands were more likely to have gained weight than men with low job
demands.

GENERAL

Weight gain is a common epidemic with huge economic cost and serious
consequences on public health. Working conditions should be taken into
consideration when planning worksite health promotion programmes. It is
possible that work fatigue and working overtime reduce the possibilities
to eat according to recommendations and engage in leisure time physical
activity. As a result, these important goals of health promotion are not
so easily followed, if no attention is paid on the working conditions
that can mediate one's lifestyle.

This study is published in the International Journal of Obesity
(Lallukka T, Laaksonen M, Martikainen P, Sarlio-Lähteenkorva S, Lahelma
E. Psychosocial working conditions and weight gain among employees. Int
J Obes 2005).

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