5 Ways Your Job Is Ruining Your Body

February 21, 2013

When you think of dangerous jobs, you probably think of people whose jobs are down-right scary: lion tamers, say, or coal miners. Jobs where your life is in real physical jeopardy. Increasingly, however, studies are showing that some of the worst jobs, health-wise, are the ones where you sit at a desk all day and type.

Business Insider recently did a round-up of the 18 ways your office job is destroying your body. Here are the five things that are probably going to get us first.

1. Sitting

Do You Know What You're Worth?

We’ve all heard by now that sitting is killing us. And unless your boss will spring for a standing or treadmill desk, chances are you spend most of your day doing just that. People with sedentary jobs are at increased risk for obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes.

2. Slouching

In addition to making your mom yell at you at family gatherings, slouching can contribute to arthritis and bursitis. And just try not to slouch after a long day hunched over the keyboard. It’s next to impossible.

3. Forced Positivity = Depression

Here’s a study from the Department of No Duh: research shows that forcing people to pretend to be positive about something makes them depressed. So much for team-building exercises.

4. Sick Building Syndrome

Bad air quality can expose you to bacteria, toxic chemicals, mold, and the flu. OK, I added that last part in. But if you’ve ever worked in an office during the flu season, you know there’s more than one type of sick building.

5. Overwork

Working too hard is bad for more than just your attitude. Research shows that people who work more than 10 hours a day have a 60 percent higher risk for cardiovascular problems. (Unsurprisingly, this research was conducted in Europe, home of the month-long yearly vacation, but I will take it.)

Tell Us What You Think

We want to hear from you! Is your job wrecking your health? Leave a comment or join the discussion on Twitter, using the hashtag #MakeItHappen.

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