A new study has also found that workplace stress is impacting people’s dietary habits, as well as their wallets.
The study, from FitRated, found 65% of those surveyed reported that their work in the past month caused them stress. And 25% of those surveyed said stress at work caused them to change their eating habits.
FitRated released its findings last week after surveying 946 full-time American employees about their stress levels and dietary habits.
“A toxic work environment can be very detrimental,” project manager for FitRated, Corrie Colliton, told Deseret News, in an email. “We discovered immediately that there was a connection between work stress and unhealthy eating habits.”
The study cited previous Harvard University research that found that stress causes people to eat more sugary and fatty foods, which in some people lead them to gain weight.
Researchers at FitRated confirmed this in its survey.
The study also found 65% who claimed their work was stressful spent almost $500 more on food each year than those who didn’t find their work to be stressful. Those 25% who admitted workplace stress caused them to change their dietary habits spent $780 more on food annually than those who didn’t feel stressed at work.
In the study, 21% of respondents reported that they gained weight due to the effects of workplace stress on their diet. On average, those respondents had gained 4.8 pounds in the last month due to those habits.
The largest culprit behind the unhealthy habits was a lack of motivation, the survey found, with more than 65% of respondents saying that was the biggest obstacle they faced when wanting to eat healthier.
Colliton said in an email that those who feel like work stress is impacting their diet should make the effort to meal plan. If that’s not a possibility, she suggests they find ways to de-stress.
“Taking a walk is a great way for employees to de-stress during work hours,” Colliton said. “Regular exercise, either before or after work is a great way for employees to keep a healthy schedule and keep their mental and physical health balanced throughout the workweek.”