We’ve often heard about how jobs that don’t require much physical activity is unhealthy.
It’ll make you fat. Sitting for too long increases the risk of chronic illnesses. Etc.
But for the first time ever, you’re going to hear about physically demanding jobs and how they’ll make you fat.
And it’s not us who said it. It’s by scientists, backed up by research.
Physically-Demanding Jobs Might Make People Grow Fatter
If you’re working in a physically-demanding job, you probably feel less guilty about lazing around on your time off.
After all, you’ve completed your required daily quota of exercise, right?
You won’t grow fat, right?!
According to new research from the University of South Australia, people who work at physically demanding jobs will grow fat if they rest outside of work hours.
Workers were tracked over four 24-hour periods (with at least two working days) with a triaxial accelerometer attached to their thighs.
They also had to record their activities in a diary.
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For the research, they classified workers into four profiles:
- Ants: people who are active throughout the day, both at work and at leisure.
- Chimpanzees: people who have a relatively even distributed composition of work and leisure behaviours.
- Koalas: people who are more sedentary and less physically active at work and at leisure, while also spending more time in bed.
- Lions: people who are very active at work, but home mostly sit around and stay in bed longer.
And surprisingly, Lions are found to be at higher risk of obesity than Koalas, despite them having a higher level of activity.
A Balance of Energy Exertion is More Important
Dr Dumuid, a UniSA researcher, said that currently, the approach to tackle obesity is to increase physical activity and reduce sedentary periods.
However, this approach doesn’t take into account the recovery process, rest and sleep, which is important for your body too.
He warns that if your body isn’t given enough time to recover, it’ll “heighten inflammation” which can create unwanted effects, like storing excess energy as fat.
He added that someone who works hard physically during the day and crash in front of the TV at night isn’t getting the right balance either.
In other words, in order to tackle obesity, you don’t chiong for nine hours then laze around for the rest of the day.
You got to figure out a way to be more active out of work hours as well.
