Investment Banking May Be Bad For You, Study Finds -- And 7 Other Jobs Linked With Health Risks

According to a recent study from the University of Southern California, Wall Street life may not be as great as it seems -- at least, when it comes to health

The study, to be published in the journal Administrative Science Quarterly, looked at two dozen young investment bankers who worked between 80 to 120 hours a week (going to work around 6 a.m. and leaving work around midnight, according to the Wall Street Journal).

The researchers found that as time went on they had increased risks of health problems like alcoholism, arthritis and Crohn's disease.

Alden Cass, a clinical psychologist based in New York, told the Wall Street Journal that bankers have an increased risk of mental health issues and burnout because their jobs can be so volatile.

Just last year, a study conducted by Concordia University researchers in the journal BMC Public Health showed that stress in the workplace is only growing. Up to 26 percent of people in high-stress jobs have seen a health professional regarding a stress-related condition, according to the study.

Another study, published last year in the journal Occupational and Environmental Medicine, suggested that having a poorly paid and supported job is just as miserable as having no job at all.

It's understandable that the bills have to be paid somehow. So what's there to do if your job is just plain bumming you out -- mentally and/or physically?

WebMD recommends making sure to have some free time in your weekly schedule, whether it's spent with friends or your significant other, as well as time to exercise.

"Research shows exercise can help you to be more alert," Robert Brooks, PhD, co-author of "The Power of Resilience: Achieving Balance, Confidence, and Personal Strength in Your Life," told WebMD.

 "And I've noticed that when I don't exercise because I'm trying to squeeze in another half hour of writing, I don't feel as alert."

And for those of us who are desk jockeys, it's not hard to be reminded that we sit and sit and sit for eight or more hours a day -- which many studies have shown is linked with an increased risk of diabetes, cancer and even death.

To stay fit at your desk, there are a number of healthy choices you can make, like taking walking meetings instead of sitting meetings, stretching regularly and taking the stairs to the upper floor instead of the elevator.

Of course, every job comes with its health risks. Here's a round-up of seven kinds of jobs that have been linked to certain physical and mental health issues.

"Standing" Jobs And Arthritis

 

 

Everyday Health reported that foot arthritis can be a health risk for people who have to stand a lot for work -- including teachers -- because they are on their feet all day.

Therefore, people who have to stand a lot for their jobs should choose to regularly wear comfortable shoes and not high heels, according to Everyday Health, because wearing high heels can put stress on the joints in your feet.

In fact, standing too long -- as well as other factors like being overweight or having higher or flat arches -- are linked with an increased risk of many kinds of arthritis, according to Arthritis Today 

 

Soldiers And Stress.

 

The enlisted solider topped this year's CareerCast.com ranking of the most stressful jobs. The ranking took into account factors like physical demands, risks to your life or to others' lives, competitiveness, deadlines and meeting with the public.

Firefighters ranked second on the 2012 list, and airline pilots ranked third.

 Construction Work And Lung Problems 

Health.com reported that inhaled dust from construction could put workers at risk for lung problems like cancer, asbestosis and mesothelioma.

In fact, occupational lung disease is the No. 1 cause of work-related illness, according to Oregon State University.

Symptoms include chest tightness, coughing, shortness of breath and breathing abnormally, according to OSU, and the disease can be caused by either by long-term exposure to the hazard, or by a particularly bad one-time exposure to the hazard. 

 

 Overtime Work And Depression

 

Working overtime -- 11 or more hours a day -- is linked with a more than doubled risk of a major depressive episode, compared with people who work the more standard seven to eight hours a day, according to a recent PLoS ONE study.

Researchers from the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health and University College London looked at health and work data from 2,000 middle-aged Brits over a nearly 6-year period, and saw that there was a definite link between overtime hours worked and depression risk.

Dancers And Divorce

 

According to 2000 Census data analyzed in a Radford University study, dancers have the highest rate of divorce, at 43 percent, and bartenders have the second highest rate, at 38 percent, Men's Health reported.

Other surprising jobs also made the top list, with roofers having a 27 percent divorce rate and sailors having a 26 percent divorce rate, according to Men's Health.