{"id":4499,"date":"2026-05-14T12:00:32","date_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:00:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/four-day-working-week-good-for-tackling-obesity\/"},"modified":"2026-05-14T12:00:34","modified_gmt":"2026-05-14T12:00:34","slug":"four-day-working-week-good-for-tackling-obesity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/bangbizarre.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/14\/four-day-working-week-good-for-tackling-obesity\/","title":{"rendered":"Four day working week good for tackling obesity"},"content":{"rendered":"

2026-05-14 12:00:31<\/b>
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A four-day working week could help slash obesity rates, reduce stress and even ease pressure on health services, experts claim.

\nResearchers found countries where people work the longest hours tend to have the highest obesity rates, despite shorter-working nations often eating less healthy diets.

\nThe findings have sparked fresh calls for Britain to embrace a four-day week, with campaigners arguing it could help tackle the nation\u2019s bulging waistlines.

\nScientists from the University of Queensland, Australia, analysed working patterns and obesity rates across 33 OECD countries between 1990 and 2022.

\nThey found that reducing annual working hours by just one per cent was linked to a 0.16 per cent drop in obesity rates.

\nResearcher Pradeepa Korale-Gedara said: \u201cThere are many ways that working hours could promote obesity besides convenience foods, which are obviously significant.

\n\u201cFor example, long hours could promote the stress hormone cortisol, which is associated with weight gain.

\n\u201cWhen people have a more balanced life, they have less stress, they can focus on more nutritious food and engage in more physical activities.\u201d

\nExperts believe long hours spent sitting down, combined with stress and reliance on takeaways, are fuelling the obesity crisis.

\nAround two thirds of UK adults are now overweight or obese, increasing risks of heart disease, diabetes, dementia and cancer.

\nCampaigners estimate moving to a four-day week could mean half a million fewer obese people in Britain.

\nJames Reeves, a campaigner at the 4 Day Week Foundation, is quoted by the Daily Mail as saying: \u201cA full day week on full pay could slash Britain\u2019s obesity levels by giving millions the time they need to ditch bad habits and make healthier choices.

\n“It’s essential that local and national governments seriously consider the role that a shorter working week can play in improving the health of our communities.\u00a0

\n“The nine-to-five, five-day working week is 100 years old and we’re long overdue an update.”

\nPrevious studies have also linked shorter working weeks to lower stress, better sleep and increased exercise.

\nBut critics remain unconvinced.

\nChristopher Snowdon, head of lifestyle economics at the Institute of Economic Affairs, warned: \u201cFor most people, a four-day week would mean a lower income and we know that people on low incomes are more likely to be obese.\u201d

\nA government spokesperson also confirmed ministers have no plans to force companies to introduce a four-day week with full pay.
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