International study to be unveiled at European Congress on Obesity suggests working late could be contributing to your waistline – as experts call for a four-day week
People who work longer hours are more likely to be obese, research suggests. Experts are calling for Britain to consider a four-day week as the international study shows countries which work longer hours have higher obesity rates.
Research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul suggests lack of time for exercise as well as work-related stress could be why those last to leave the office are more likely to pile on the pounds.
Author Dr Pradeepa Korale-Gedara, of the University of Queensland in Australia says workplace stress increases the hormone cortisol so people store more fat, while increasingly working in jobs where they are unable to burn energy.
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Dr Korale-Gedara said: “There is a debate in Australia about four day weeks. I have seen research looking at possible productivity gains… but now people are looking at it from a different perspective. I think this is something that can be considered. When people have a more balanced life, they have a better life. They have less stress, they can focus on more nutritious food and engage in more physical activities.”
Dr Korale-Gedara said manual jobs are more mechanised now in developed nations, meaning workers on long hours find it impossible to burn enough fat while relying more on convenience food.
The study showed countries such as the US and Latin American countries, which tend to work longer hours, also have higher obesity rates. This was true despite northern European countries consuming more energy and fat on average than Latin American countries.
Researchers found a 1% reduction in annual working hours was associated with a 0.16% decrease in obesity rates across 33 OECD countries analysed from 1990 to 2022. Three in ten Brits are obese and the findings suggest that a four-day week – or a 20% reduction in working hours – would be linked to around half a million fewer people being obese. However researchers warn the study does not prove causation and income levels of different countries may also be a factor.
Stress and Weight Gain
When we are stressed we release stress hormones such as cortisol which triggers the release of glucose from the liver into the bloodstream. This is a survival mechanism evolved over millions of years to provide a ready supply of energy for your muscles.
While useful for survival – for example when escaping predators – modern lifestyles mean these stressful situations often occur while we are sedentary, such as sitting at an office desk. This means we do not use up this glucose in our blood stream. If it is not used immediately then a proportion may be converted into fat.
Chronic stress keeps cortisol levels elevated, triggering cravings for high-calorie, sugary foods and lowering the body’s ability to burn fat. When stress hormones remain high at night after working late this can disrupt sleep. Poor sleep increases appetite-driving hormones the next day.
The NHS says while some levels of stress can be motivating, coping mechanisms such as exercise, deep breathing and planning ahead for stressful days can help manage it.
It comes amid a growing movement in the UK and other developed nations towards a four day week. Proponents insist productivity can be maintained and wider societal benefits achieved. It faced strong opposition from the previous Conservative government but Labour ministers such as Angela Rayner previously had expressed some support for the concept.
A large UK pilot trial in 2022 by the 4 Day Week Foundation looked at 3,000 British employees and resulted in 56 of its 61 companies cutting down their hours from a five-day working week.
Dr Rita Fontinha, a psychologist at Reading University, published a separate review of evidence on four-day week last year and has now received funding from the Portuguese government to pilot a four-day working week there. Commenting on the new research, she said: “We know that obesity is related to lower incomes but it is also related to something called time poverty. If you work two jobs or long hours, you simply do not have the energy to cook and it becomes easier to just buy something packaged or processed.
“In general people are concerned about their health but sometimes busy lives just do not allow for it. A four-day week or different forms of working time reduction could be associated with better choices in terms of food, exercise and sleep to contribute to healthier societies.”
The four day week movement cites the historic change a century ago when campaigners led by trade unions gave birth to the two-day weekend. The previous norm for Britain and other traditionally Christian countries was a six-day working week with time off only on Sundays.
Campaigners argue this shift will become more necessary as artificial intelligence increases productivity but makes some roles redundant. The move from a six to a five-day week was sparked by similar pressures during the Great Depression in the US.
Office for National Statistics data shows more than 200,000 workers have switched to a four-day week since the Covid-19 pandemic.
James Reeves, campaign manager of the 4 Day Week Foundation, said: “A four-day week on full pay could slash Britain’s obesity levels by giving millions the time they need to ditch bad habits and make healthier choices.
“When we asked staff what they had been doing on their additional day off work, the most common answer by far was ‘life admin’, including things like food shopping. Time for these activities during the week frees up the weekend for other healthy activities too.
“It’s essential that local and national Government seriously consider the role that a shorter working week can play in improving the health of our communities. The 9 to 5, five-day working week is 100 years old and we’re long overdue an update.”
A few weeks ago on May 1 campaigners for the 4 Day Week Foundation gathered outside Ford Motor Company’s Dagenham plant to mark the 100-year anniversary of it becoming the first company to move to a five-day week.
A Government spokesperson said: “This government will not mandate a four-day work week for five days’ pay but through the Employment Rights Act, we’re making it easier for flexible working requests to be accepted.”
