Driving a bus or piloting a plane may be hazardous to your health - and not for the reasons you might think. According to a study, transportation workers have higher levels of obesity and obesity-related diseases.

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Working odd hours, eating on the run and sitting for long periods of time are all probably contributing factors.

A study of more than 5,000 Bulgarian transportation workers found that 65 percent of them were either overweight or obese. And, they had higher levels of heart disease and type 2 diabetes.

"A transport worker's job - high tension, low physical activity, unbalanced nutrition, relative immobility, high-speed travel, shift work and environmental factors - can contribute to the development of metabolic and cardiovascular disease," says Dr. Svetoslav Handijev, from the department of nutrition at the Transport Medical Institute in Bulgaria.

Being overweight can cause a host of health problems. Heart disease and diabetes top the list. But cancer, sleep apnea, gallbladder disease, osteoarthritis and gout are all more common in people who are overweight.

 

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