Overwork obesity: China woman gained 20kg in a year due to work stress, sees change after quitting
Woman says job a ‘disaster’ for mental and physical well-being, quit to protect herself
A Chinese woman stated that she gained 20kg in one year due to work-related stress, sparking renewed online discussions about “overwork obesity”, a term that describes weight gain resulting from work-related tension.
In China, “overwork obesity” is frequently attributed to job pressure, long working hours, or an irregular lifestyle.
Ouyang Wenjing, a 24-year-old woman from southern China’s Guangdong province, said on her Xiaohongshu account that her weight increased from 60kg to 80kg after working for one year.
The woman did not specify her workplace or the nature of her job, but she shared with the mainland news outlet Star Video that her job had become a “disaster” for her physical and mental health. She mentioned that she quit her job in June and is now “feeling much better.”
Ouyang said she often worked overtime, had irregular shifts, and ordered food delivery for all her meals.
She shared that she weighed 105kg in secondary school before losing 45kg in the next four years. She said that her recent job had sabotaged those weight loss efforts, and she had started to gain the weight back.
