Replies: 15
| visibility 151
|
Oculus Spirit [97880]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 64979
Joined: 7/13/02
|
Someone was mentioning about work hours the other day and obesity
1
Mar 20, 2024, 8:46 AM
|
|
Sticking this in P&R because it will be spun no matter what.
So we work hard in the US, long hours, longer than most of Europe and other developed countries. The assumption the other day was working less hours makes us fat. I'd argue the opposite, but that's another story. What struck me, other than countries with shorter work weeks being thinner than Americans was something else.
Evidently, the countries with shorter work weeks, while being thinner, are also happier.
World's happiest countries...... https://www.wsj.com/health/wellness/world-happiness-report-americans-top-20-0f59cf98
Countries with the shortest work weeks.... https://www.timeout.com/news/revealed-these-are-the-countries-with-the-shortest-working-weeks-041922
Personally, I work 50+ hours a week, and that's down some in recent years. I still can't fathom working only 40 hours, but I imagine I'd be happier, but have less money. Then again, what makes us happy? It isn't money.
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [12631]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 6327
Joined: 12/24/15
|
Re: Someone was mentioning about work hours the other day and obesity
1
Mar 20, 2024, 9:00 AM
|
|
If one's identity is tied to one's job, then working beats not working.
However, if working is not one's identity, not working as much or retirement is a pretty sweet gig.
Working long hours especially if it's a fairly sedentary job definitely can lead to obesity.
I worked long hours and irregular hours. I stayed pretty fit despite that, but it was difficult at times to eat normally and get regular physical exercise.
Retirement or fewer hours working obviously gives a person time to do physical exercise and perhaps time to eat more regularly.
Money after housing, food, clothing and a few other essentials is essentially just fun tickets. It definitely doesn't make one happy.
|
|
|
|
|
All-In [31569]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 10224
Joined: 1/28/15
|
Re: Someone was mentioning about work hours the other day and obesity
1
Mar 20, 2024, 9:10 AM
|
|
Working long hours, really just hustle & bustle in general, leads people to seek convenience for food. Fast food, frozen food, etc. Good food requires time to plan, time to shop, time for preparation, and time is a luxury not afforded to everyone.
Money doesn’t buy fulfillment, but it does buy freedom. Freedom from financial stress, freedom to have hobbies, freedom to enjoy the finer things in life rather than survival and necessity.
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [24293]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 12359
Joined: 9/1/14
|
Re: Someone was mentioning about work hours the other day and obesity
3
Mar 20, 2024, 9:18 AM
|
|
High stress + low physical activity + fast food = fat ###
|
|
|
|
|
All-In [40966]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 42971
Joined: 11/30/98
|
Oh money definitely makes me happy
Mar 20, 2024, 9:22 AM
|
|
Nice house nice car nice vacations never worry about what clothes to buy or eating out at nice restaurants
much better than sitting on the couch waiting for the next paycheck so there is a little extra cash to spend.
I too work long hours, but I am cutting down and I'm definitely happy. I have a great life.
|
|
|
|
|
Hall of Famer [24293]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 12359
Joined: 9/1/14
|
Re: Oh money definitely makes me happy
Mar 20, 2024, 9:29 AM
|
|
I imagine a lot of it depends if you like what you're doing. Less money is probably better than doing something you hate that makes a lot of money.
Message was edited by: p6fuller®
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [9076]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 9818
Joined: 4/27/13
|
Re: Someone was mentioning about work hours the other day and obesity
Mar 20, 2024, 9:55 AM
|
|
you need to work longer, in fact get a second job
because these new replacement citizens will need your taxes
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [9076]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 9818
Joined: 4/27/13
|
Re: Someone was mentioning about work hours the other day and obesity
Mar 20, 2024, 9:57 AM
|
|
the people who say money aint everything has most of the money lol
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [97880]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 64979
Joined: 7/13/02
|
Which is why they would be the ones who know.***
Mar 20, 2024, 10:11 AM
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
110%er [9076]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 9818
Joined: 4/27/13
|
Re: Which is why they would be the ones who know.***
Mar 20, 2024, 10:13 AM
|
|
why dont they give it away
problem solved
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [12294]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 5407
Joined: 9/12/04
|
I don't know... Weight is pretty much tied to an individuals genetics,
Mar 20, 2024, 10:32 AM
|
|
what people choose to eat/how much they eat (i.e. dietary habits), and exercise regimen. I guess I'm not completely sold that the number of work hours has that much cause/affect on obesity as opposed to those other things.
Kind of like attributing Clemson winning a football game to every time I wear a certain pair of socks. It may seem to have some connection because we have won every time I've worn a certain pair of socks but in reality the socks have nothing to do with how the team played...
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [81996]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 47129
Joined: 3/18/07
|
You don't see the connection of working too many hours inhibits
Mar 20, 2024, 10:38 AM
|
|
your time to create a healthy dietary habit and exercise regimen? They're directly correlated.
I do wish I was one of the people who could survive on 4-5 hours of a sleep a night.
Fortunately now I just work less so I can have healthy habits.
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [11645]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 9800
Joined: 5/17/02
|
Working out and diet are choices
1
Mar 20, 2024, 11:26 AM
|
|
I work about 50-55 hours a week on average. Yet I still carve out time to lift 3x a week and run a couple times. Diet is also choices. Pack your lunch. Eat a salad instead of a burger. Even fast food has healthier options.
Like most things health related, not doing it is just excuses.
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [81996]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 47129
Joined: 3/18/07
|
It's all time management. I'm aware they're choices.
Mar 20, 2024, 12:12 PM
|
|
But having more time to do those things allows it to be easier.
Does your wife help you with other things that would take your time? Making sure house is tidy, cooking, dishes, cleaning, taking care of kids, etc. If I was still working my 60hr work weeks, I didn't have the time to cook and eat healthy and work out, and have a family. Good on your time management.
Either way, it's directly correlated to be easier if you're *not* working that much.
|
|
|
|
|
All-TigerNet [12294]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 5407
Joined: 9/12/04
|
There may be some small connections to hours worked for some people and their
Mar 20, 2024, 11:47 AM
[ in reply to You don't see the connection of working too many hours inhibits ] |
|
obesity but I'm not convinced it significantly skews the overall obesity problem in the USA. We certainly can't attribute our obesity problem as justification for reducing our standard work week as any honest look at the US obesity problem will find many other factors having a much greater affect.
For instance, unemployed folks aren't hindered by the number of work hours in a week yet obesity seems to be a big problem among that community. In fact - the longer they don't work the worse it gets:
https://news.gallup.com/poll/171683/obesity-linked-long-term-unemployment.aspx
Look at the epidemic of youth obesity we have in the USA... US Kids under the working age are experiencing higher levels of obesity than ever. Work hours certainly aren't the cause of their weight problems.
The CDC rates 44% of the US as obese (not just overweight) with contributing factors including race, income level, education level, and regions of the country. Number of hours worked isn't even mentioned...
IMO the modern American diet has become a bigger part of the problem than anything else. Everywhere you look it is high carb meals being offered from high end restaurants to fast food joints. These high carb diets ultimately drive up the body's blood sugar and even creates a craving for carbs that most people give into without understanding why they have the cravings or even thinking about.
I am definitely an exercise advocate. But...Exercise is ultimately a wellness tool - something we should all do but it is ultimately not a weight control tool. It can be useful in losing weight for those that are overweight/obese when combined with a proper diet BUT no one will ever, over a sustained long period, be able to out-exercise an uncontrolled diet. As one of my physical fitness mentors put it - "You will never out-exercise your diet"....
My own weight loss journey has led me to understand that genetics, the dietary choices we make, education/understanding how the body gains/loses weight, knowing/understanding one's personal food triggers, and the self-discipline to control one's diet have much more of an affect on our obesity problem than I suspect does the 40 hour work week.
|
|
|
|
|
Oculus Spirit [81996]
TigerPulse: 100%
Posts: 47129
Joined: 3/18/07
|
Working too many hours is only a small piece of the problem,
Mar 20, 2024, 12:15 PM
|
|
nobody is arguing it as the whole hog here.
I think another problem we have is our processed foods just have too much sugar in them, and they're so heavily subsidized that they're easier and cheaper to buy and eat than the healthy stuff. Which ties to your unemployed stat - a $8 meal at McDonalds vs. spending $10 on healthy whole foods at a grocery store and then cooking them.
|
|
|
|
Replies: 15
| visibility 151
|
|
|