UK Experts Renew 4-Day Week Push as Study Links 1% Fewer Work Hours to Lower Obesity
Updated
Updated · The Guardian · May 11
UK Experts Renew 4-Day Week Push as Study Links 1% Fewer Work Hours to Lower Obesity
7 articles · Updated · The Guardian · May 11
Research covering 33 OECD countries from 1990 to 2022 found a 1% cut in annual working hours was associated with a 0.16% drop in obesity rates, prompting fresh UK calls for a four-day week.
The study, presented at the European Congress on Obesity in Istanbul, linked longer-hours countries such as the US, Mexico and Colombia with higher obesity, with researchers pointing to stress, cortisol and less time for exercise and healthy meals.
In the UK, about 200 companies already use a four-day week, South Cambridgeshire district council has rolled it out for all staff, and more than 200,000 workers have switched since the pandemic, according to ONS data.
Ministers still oppose mandating four days' work for five days' pay, saying the government will instead rely on the Employment Rights Act to make flexible working requests easier to approve.
If long hours cause obesity, why do some nations with shorter work weeks still have high obesity rates?
With AI boosting productivity, is a four-day work week the next major public health revolution?
Could a four-day week paradoxically increase stress by condensing five days of work into four?
The Impact of Work Hours on Obesity: Global Evidence, Policy Challenges, and the Four-Day Workweek Debate
Overview
This report explores how longer work hours can lead to higher obesity rates through several connected factors. When people work more, they have less time for physical activity and face more work-related stress, which can cause stress eating and weight gain. Time constraints also push individuals to rely on energy-dense convenience foods, leading to unhealthy dietary choices and increased obesity. However, broader factors like higher GDP, urbanization, and food prices can encourage healthier eating and lower obesity rates. The findings highlight the need for coordinated policies that address work-life balance, urban design, and food environments to effectively combat obesity.