Is your job making you fat? Receptionists are most likely to pile on pounds (while while scientists are the skinniest) Survey found teachers and engineers top poll of overweight workers Factory workers tend to be thinner than most other employees People blamed colleagues bringing homemade treats to work as well as happy hours after work and easy access to junk for weight gain You might expect that being A chef puts you at the highest risk of putting on weight, but you'd be wrong. New research has found that working as a teach or as an engineer puts you at greater risk of being overweight. The poll also found that being a factory worker or a scientist made you less likely to be obese. Deskbound: Administrative workers such as receptionists were found to be the most likely to be overweight. Employees cited vending machines and communal biscuit tins as reasons behind their weight gain The survey, carried out by jobsearch company CareerBuilder, polled nearly 3,700 workers. It found that found that 55 per cent of employees considered themselves overweight. It also discovered that 41 per cent gained weight as a result of their current job and of those, 59 per cent gained more than 10 pounds. Administrative assistant (69%) Engineer (56%) Teacher (51%) Nurse (51%) IT technician (51%) Legal professional (48%) Machine operator or factory worker (45%) Scientist (39%) Just under a third gained more than 20 pounds. But earning a living didn't always mean gaining weight: 16 per cent of all workers said they had lost weight while at their current job. The poll found that those who had put on weight had done so because of they were exposed to high levels of stress and spent long hours behind a desk. They also cited readily available junk food as a reason for their unhealthy eating habits and a main cause for their expanding waistline. The survey also found that employees found controlling portions and counting calories especially challenging while at work. More than half of employees admitted to going out to eat at least once a week, and a quarter ate out three or more times a week. Just under 10 per cent reported eating lunch out of the vending machine at least once a week, while 70 per cent of workers said they snacked during the day. The new poll found that scientists working all fields were the least likely to be overweight. Factory workers followed closely behind and those working in the legal profession were also slimmer than average Sitting at desk most of the day (56%) Eating because of stress (35%) Eating out regularly (26%) The office sweetjar (17%) Skipping meals because of time (17%) Workplace celebrations (17%) Pressure to eat food colleagues bring in (9%) Happy hours (4%) Despite more than half of all workers feeling overweight, nearly 6 of 10 employees said they work out on a regular basis. Just under 50 per cent percent went to the gym at least three times a week. Around 30 per cent said they did exercise, but not regularly, and 11 per cent didn't exercise at all. Getting a nudge from employers to stay in shape does seem to have some impact, however. A third of survey respondents said their companies provided wellness benefits such as workout facilities or gym passes. Of these, 36 per cent take advantage of them.