"Today's busy workers have trouble finding the time to cook healthy meals and exercise regularly, and their waistlines are suffering," says Rosemary Haefner, Vice President of Human Resources at CareerBuilder.com. "Employers aren't offering much support in this area. Seventy-three percent of workers say their employers don't offer workout facilities, gym passes or weight loss programs to help their employees slim down."
Haefner offers the following tips to help workers fight the bulge at work:
• Resurrect your lunch box. Thirty-nine percent of workers say they eat out during the workday at least three times a week instead of packing a lunch, and one-in-ten workers say they eat out five times a week. By skipping the deli counter in favor of brown bags, you control your portions, cut calories and save money.
• Hang up the phone. Thanks to technology like email and voice mail, it's easy to stay glued to your chair all day. When you need to talk to a co-worker across the office, don't just reach for the phone. Walk over there and chat face-to-face. Those extra steps add up.
• Blacklist the vending machines. Thirty-five percent of workers say they snack at the office at least twice a day, and 43 percent of workers say they eat more unhealthy snacks at work than at home. Pack healthier snacks like yogurt and veggies in your work bag each day. That way, when the afternoon hunger hits, you won't beeline to the vending machines.
• Keep a bottle of water at your desk. Many workers reach for food when they're bored or stressed. If you keep a bottle of water next to you and sip it continuously throughout the day, you'll feel fuller and be less tempted to chow down.
• Use your lunch hour. If you have a fitness center in or near your office, your lunch hour is a prime time to squeeze in a workout. Or, grab a bite at your desk, then go out for a walk around your neighborhood.
For more information on CareerBuilder.com surveys, visit http://www.careerbuilder.com/share/AboutUs/PR/surveys.htm
*comScore Media Metrix, March 2005. The CareerBuilder Network is a custom aggregation of CareerBuilder.com traffic as well as job search traffic to career centers CareerBuilder powers for partner sites such as Tribune Company, Gannett, Knight Ridder and others.
Survey Methodology
The CareerBuilder.com survey, "Work and Health 2005," was conducted from May 17 to May 27, 2005. Methodology used to collect survey responses totaling more than 1,600 workers for this study involved selecting a random sample of comScore Networks panel members. These Web Panel members were approached via an e-mail invitation, which asked them to participate in a short online survey. The results of this survey are statistically accurate to within +/- 2.43 percentage points (19 times out of 20).