Obese workers who drive to work have a higher risk of death

Obese workers who drive to work have a higher risk of deathObese workers who drive to work have a higher risk of deathIf youre obese and you drive to work, youre at a significantly increased risk of premature death, new research presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Glasgow, Scotland, in a release. The research, from the University of Glasgow, showed that obese car commuters had a 32% higher risk of death in comparison to people at normal weights who commuted by bicycling or walking. Being obese and driving to work was also shown to double the risk of fatal heart disease, as well as present a 59% increase in non-fatal heart disease.Previous studies have shown that active commuting, like bicycling, to be linked to a 50% lower risk of death in comparison to driving.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe new research, using anonymized statistics of over 160,000 British peop le via UK Biobank data, looked to discover how different types of commuting might improve outcomes for the obese. Fifty-seven percent of men and 66% of women in the UK are overweight or obese.Researchers at the British Heart Foundation Glasgow Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Glasgow drew their conclusions from data on selected participants in the UK. Biobank who reported they commuted to work by car, on foot, or by bicycle. The participants were followed up on over five years.On a hopeful note, the people in the study with obesity who did not commute by car who cycled or walked instead had a risk of death that was similar to the risk of commuters of normal weight. (The risk of heart disease was still there for the active commuters with obesity, however. It was increased by 82% in comparison with active commuters of normal weight).Our findings, if causal, suggest that people with overweight or obesity could potentially decrease the risk of premature mortality if they engage in active commuting, wrote the studys authors.However, this might work a little better in Britain, whose obesity tarif is 27% compared to the United States 40%.Commutes have been shown to be detrimental in a number of other ways. Long commutes have been linked in other research with poor health, like obesity, sleep deprivation, high blood pressure, and back and neck pain. Theyve also been shown to be potentially dangerous for pregnant women, with the risk of having babies born premature or underweight the longer the commute.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people