Men and women respond very differently to working long hours

	Tweet

Researchers in the UK say that women who work long hours are more likely than men to snack, smoke, drink coffee and exercise less.

A Leeds University team found men and women respond very differently to working long hours - with the greatest impact being on women.

Dr. Daryl O’Connor, a researcher at Leeds University and his team studied the impact of stress on eating habits and looked at what causes stress at home and at work and how people react to it.

They found that working long hours has a greater negative impact on women than men because it makes them more likely to smoke, drink coffee and eat unhealthy food, but both sexes were likely to increase their intake of unhealthy foods.

The researchers say that this is probably a reaction to the stress of a demanding job and stress disrupts people’s normal eating habits and causes them to opt for unhealthy high fat and high sugar snacks in preference to healthier food choices.

Long hours however appeared to have no negative impact on men’s level of exercise, caffeine intake or smoking, but for both sexes long hours were associated with a reduction in alcohol consumption.

The study looked at stress caused by minor events, or difficulties both in and outside work, such as having an argument with a colleague or friend, a meeting with a boss, giving a presentation at work, or missing a deadline.

People who experienced one or more such events during the day reported consuming significantly more between-meal snacks than usual but fewer portions of vegetables, and a smaller main meal.

Dr O’Connor describes people who snack under stress as “emotional eaters” and says they have higher levels of vulnerability and resort to food when they feel anxious or emotionally aroused or negative about themselves.

They avoid confronting these ‘negative’ feelings by focusing their attention on food.

Other experts say men are less likely to be affected by working long hours because they are not expected to multi-task in the same way as women and as a rule do not have to face domestic chores when they get home and most working women would agree.

The study was funded by the Economic and Social Research Council.

RELATED STORIES:
Angola virus scary but no global risk - scientist   U.S. teen birth rates highest in southern states   Cigarette makers, FDA clash over new graphic ads   Report raises questions about U.S. cattle feed ban   Bill and Melinda Gates put their money where it’s needed   Latest epidemic? High cholesterol, obesity in fruit flies   Michael Jackson Could Have Been Saved   Fate of last smallpox virus stocks divides WHO   Report finds serious risks at children’s hospital   New health statistics show Americans living longer   Obesity rates for U.S. immigrants vary   Take care with mobile phones, health report says

Comments

[ + Post Your Own ]

Now you're in the public comment zone. What follows is not Armenian Medical Network's stuff; it comes from other people and we don't vouch for it. A reminder: By using this Web site you agree to accept our Terms of Service. Click here to read the Rules of Engagement.

There are no comments for this entry yet. [ + Comment here + ]