Four-in-Ten U.S. Employees Have Gained Weight at Their Current Jobs, CareerBuilder...

Four-in-Ten U.S. Employees Have Gained Weight at Their Current Jobs,
CareerBuilder Study Finds

-Expert Offers Tips to Help Make Healthy Choices on the Job-

CHICAGO, April 29 /PRNewswire/ -- The economy may be contributing to the
expanding waistlines of U.S. workers as one-in-ten report increased snacking
during the day due to concerns over the current economic situation. Overall,
43 percent say they have gained weight in their current jobs, according to a
new CareerBuilder survey. The survey was conducted from February 20 through
March 11, 2009 among more than 4,400 workers.

A quarter of employees report they have gained more than ten pounds and 12
percent say they gained more than 20 pounds while in their present positions.
Comparing genders, women are more likely (48 percent) than men (39 percent) to
say they have gained weight at their current jobs.

"Weight gain in the office is common and is a result of a variety of issues
including today's economic stress and poor eating habits," said Rosemary
Haefner, vice president of Human Resources for CareerBuilder.com. "Making
little adjustments to your routine, such as bringing your lunch to work,
getting up from your desk during the day, and walking instead of driving or
taking public transportation will help curb some of your financial worries,
while making you healthier."

Eating habits can often be a culprit in workplace weight gain. Nearly
two-in-five (39 percent) employees surveyed eat out for lunch twice or more
per week, making it difficult to control portions and calorie intake. In
addition, 12 percent buy their lunch out of a vending machine at least once a
week.

Snacking can also be a slippery slope for those trying to cut back on
calories, as two-thirds (67 percent) of employees surveyed snack at least once
a day, including 24 percent that snack twice a day.

One of the ways employees can cut back on workplace weight gain is by heading
to the gym during lunch hour, but according to the survey, only 9 percent of
employees work up a sweat in the middle of the day.

More employees may be inclined to take advantage of gym facilities during
lunch and outside of work, though, as 25 percent of companies now provide gym
passes, workout facilities or wellness benefits.

Haefner recommends the following tips for fending off workplace weight gain:

-- Allow enough time in your morning for a balanced breakfast - While 23
percent of workers say they eat breakfast at their desks each day it
may
make more sense to try to have breakfast before coming to the office.
That way you can prepare something healthier and actually finish it
before having to start answering the phone or responding to emails.
-- Drink plenty of water - Often a snack craving can be mistaken for
dehydration. Be sure to keep water or another healthy beverage at your
desk throughout the day so that you can hydrate freely.
-- Keep track of your eating - Experts say that when you see what you are
actually eating, you will be more inclined to make adjustments to your
eating habits and become healthier.
-- Add movement to your routine - Especially in this economic
environment,
every little bit of activity helps, so take the stairs to your floor,
walk over to co-workers instead of calling or emailing them and get
off
the train or bus one stop further from your home or office to get a
few
extra minutes of exercise.

-- Control your stress - Added pressure can fuel poor eating habits, as
you
can tend to overeat or make inadequate food choices when you're
feeling overwhelmed. Try to manage stress with regular exercise and
speak with a supervisor if your workload is drowning you.

Survey Methodology
This survey was conducted online within the U.S. by Harris Interactive on
behalf of CareerBuilder.com among 4,435 U.S. workers (employed full-time; not
self-employed; non government); ages 18 and over between February 20 and March
11, 2009. With a pure probability sample of 4,435 one could say with a 95
percent probability that the overall results have a sampling error of +/- 1.47
percentage points. Sampling error for data from sub-samples is higher and
varies.

About CareerBuilder
CareerBuilder is the global leader in human capital solutions, helping
companies target and attract their most important asset - their people. Its
online career site, CareerBuilder.com, is the largest in the U.S. with more
than 23 million unique visitors, 1 million jobs and 31 million resumes.
CareerBuilder works with the world's top employers, providing resources for
everything from employment branding and data analysis to talent acquisition.
More than 9,000 Web sites, including 140 newspapers and broadband portals such
as MSN and AOL, feature CareerBuilder's proprietary job search technology on
their career sites. Owned by Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), Tribune Company,
The McClatchy Company (NYSE: MNI) and Microsoft Corp. (Nasdaq: MSFT),
CareerBuilder and its subsidiaries operate in the U.S., Europe, Canada and
Asia. For more information, visit www.careerbuilder.com

Media Contact:
CareerBuilder
Michael Erwin
773-527-3637
Michael.Erwin@careerbuilder.com

SOURCE CareerBuilder

Michael Erwin of CareerBuilder, +1-773-527-3637,
Michael.Erwin@careerbuilder.com