Studies

Food Service Ranks in Top-10 List of Unhealthiest Jobs

The food service industry ranks as one of the unhealthiest jobs, right above enlisted soldiers.
The food service industry ranks as one of the unhealthiest jobs, right above enlisted soldiers. Photo: Photo: Lauren Klain Carton

Anyone who’s ever waited tables on a Sunday morning or worked the line on a hot summer night knows that the food industry is not for the faint of heart. Food service is a taxing profession. According to a recent top-10 list, it ranks as one of the unhealthiest professions there are, just above enlisted soldiers and bus drivers. And it’s even worse for women.

These physically stressful front-of-the-house positions can be “thankless and unrewarding.” And according to an article on Health.com, women in the food-service profession, as well as those in retail, are more likely to be depressed than those in other careers.

Also on the list of unhealthy professions: police officers, firefighters, desk jockeys, manual laborers, lawyers, healthcare shift workers, enlisted soldiers, and transportation workers.

Looking for a career change? Try being a fitness instructor, software engineer, or a florist, the top three healthiest jobs on the list. [Health.com]

Food Service Ranks in Top-10 List of Unhealthiest Jobs