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Study finds interesting link between working from home and gaining weight
Studies conducted on remote workers since Covid-19 have found that working from home leads to a healthier diet but that increased snacking and a sedentary lifestyle risk weight gain.
While working from home (WFH) is not a new phenomenon, its a practice that skyrocketed during the Covid-19 pandemic and has remained commonplace in the years since the outbreak. This has led to a huge shift in the way that millions of people around the world are living and several studies have been carried out into how the lives and habits of remote workers have changed.
People working from home eat healthier
A study conducted by Japanese researchers and published in Science Direct surveyed 5,929�participants on their living and eating habits after making the change to remote working in the wake of the pandemic.
The study found – in line with data from other international research – that working from home was associated with increased intake of vegetables, fruits, dairy products, and snacks but decreased intake of meats and alcohol.
Vegetable intake – which is linked with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and cancer – was estimated to have risen by 8% according to the study, largely due to people having more time to prepare healthier meals while at home.
WFH benefits people by eliminating commute time, researchers said. Lack of time to prepare healthy meals has been considered the main barrier to healthy eating. WFH could mitigate this time constraint and allow people to prepare healthier meals.
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Snacking and sedentary lifestyle prompt weight gain concern
However, while remote working led to an increase in fruit and vegetable consumption, it has seen a rise in snacking, too – also by 8%.
Attention must be paid to overconsumption of snacks, said the study and increased consumption of sweets and�snacks�has been reported consistently in multiple sources of research.
Of course, the stressful early days of the pandemic were a major cause for the increased intake of palatable foods but the continued ease of access to snacks for remote workers in the wake of the pandemic means that this is an area that needs to be closely monitored.
A separate study by Italian researchers and published by MDPI referenced two reports in which 46.9% and 41% of respondents reported an increase in weight after making the switch to remote working during the pandemic.
Researchers noted that there is a significant association between sedentary work (measured as sitting time) and higher body mass index (BMI).
So, if you want to stay healthy while working from home, try to cut out the snacks from your daily diet and get some exercise in during the day so you dont spend your whole day sitting down.
