Working overtime may get you ahead in the corporate world, but all of that extra work may also make you indulge in unhealthy behaviors, especially if you're a woman.

"Women who work long hours eat more high fat and high sugar snacks, exercise less, drink more caffeine and, if smokers, smoke more than their male colleagues," says Dr. Daryl O'Connor, a psychologist at the United Kingdom's Leeds University. "While for men, working longer hours has no negative impact on exercise, caffeine intake or smoking.

"The one clear positive impact of working long hours for both sexes is that alcohol consumption is reduced."

O'Connor says if you're a woman, you simply handle working long hours and workplace stress differently than men, who generally aren't expected to "multi-task" as often as women.

"Women are more likely to be the primary caretaker of their family, and spend more time than men managing the household," he says. "When they work more than nine hours a day, something has to give. And what gives is going to the gym, and eating healthy."

'Daily hassles'

His findings are part of research by psychologists at the university's Institute of Psychological Sciences into how stress affects eating. His team sampled the daily hassles and eating behaviors of 193 men and 229 women whose average age was 40.

The "daily hassles" at work and outside of work included: 

 •  arguing with a coworker or friend;

 •  meeting with your boss;

 •  giving a presentation at work;

 •  missing a deadline;

 •  losing your keys.

People who experienced one or more of such hassles ate more in-between meal snacks and fewer vegetables, no fruit, and smaller main meals, according to the results.

In other words, stress causes you to snack, rather than physical stress. Paradoxically, physical stress can cause you to snack less, O'Connor says.

"Those most at risk of snacking under stress are best described as emotional eaters," O'Connor says. "In other words, when they feel anxious or emotionally aroused or negative about themselves, they try to avoid these negative feelings by turning their attention to food."

The study was paid for by Britian's Economic and Social Research Council.

Tips on snacking at work

Of course, if you're burning the midnight oil, you can still snack at work, as long as the food and drinks blend into your healthy eating plan.

Nutritionists and dietitians say that if you must snack at work, try these tips: 

•  Bring healthy snacks from home so you can resist the urge to feed the vending machines, which are packed with snacks high in fat, calories and sugar;

•  Stash in your desk dry, whole-grain cereal; granola bars; nuts; pretzels, low-fat cookies, crackers and microwave popcorn; peanut butter; rice cakes.

•  Stash in the company refrigerator baby carrots, freshly cut vegetables; juice boxes, bottled water, yogurt, cheese, fresh fruit;

•  Prevent yourself from becoming too hungry or you may snack even more;

•  Select healthy foods and drinks for meetings and social events with coworkers;

•  Replace candy in your desk bowl with pretzels, rice cakes, low-fat popcorn or other healthy foods;

•  Think whether you really need food when you go on a break - a common time when people snack at the office;

•  Drink water instead of coffee with stress-inducing caffeine.

Source: Economic and Social Research Council

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