by Matt Weik
Do you find yourself worry about losing your job? In the back of your head are you always wondering what the next step would be if your job was eliminated or were fired? Or maybe you already hear rumblings around the office that there will be layoffs due to lack of sales or a possible merger? If so, a new study is showing you might have a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Researchers gathered data from individuals with a mean age of 42 who lived in the US, Europe, and Australia and began investigating if there is any type of correlation between worrying about losing your job and the risk of Type 2 diabetes. The mean age seems to be just about smack dab in the middle of an individual’s career timeline and while not young and possibly immature or getting up in age and potentially considering retirement, it seemed like a great median age for a study like this. When looking through just under 141,000 workers across the countries mentioned, researchers found that there is a 19% higher chance of Type 2 diabetes in people who were worried about getting fired or losing their job when compared to those who felt secure with their position and employment. Oddly enough though, there was no direct correlation between worrying about losing your job and diabetes. You might have a raised eyebrow just like I did after reading that. However, researchers mentioned that there are other factors involved that increased risk of diabetes.
So you might be scratching your head wondering how there’s an increased risk of 19% yet it has nothing to do with worrying about losing one’s job. Well, it kind of does in a way. One researcher explained it as, “These results are consistent with other studies, showing that job insecurity is associated with weight gain, a risk factor for diabetes.” So while there is no direct cause-and-effect, one risk factor leads to another. They also found that these same individuals had a higher risk of heart disease. Researchers mentioned that, “Small long-term effects on common disease outcomes can have high relevance.”
While there’s no way for doctors to know about a patient’s current thoughts and/or worries regarding their employment status, it would be wise for an individual to bring it up to their doctor to ensure the doctor can take the necessary steps to ensure an individual’s weight stays under control to reduce the risk of diabetes and other illnesses/diseases. As weight creeps up, it can cause blood values to change, an increased the risk of hypertension, an increased danger of stroke or heart attack, and as mentioned in this study, an increased risk of diabetes. The take home message? Stop worrying about your job. What will be will be. Some things are just out of our control and we shouldn’t worry about such things. I understand it’s easier said than done, but we need to realize there’s nothing in our power that we can do to change some situation. Should you lose your job, you will find another one. You have the ability through your incredible work ethic to be an asset to any company. While losing a job can be stressful, it will pass and you will once again be gainfully employed. Worry less, and live more.
Source: Information given from HealthDay.
