Being a waiter or waitress is so stressful it could make you more vulnerable to having a stroke, according to a new study.
Researchers in China found that stress levels among waiting staff were higher than those found in brain surgeons or stockbrokers – typically regarded as being amongst the most mentally tolling professions.
The scientists found that the combination of low pay and high workload meant waiting staff were up to 58% more likely to suffer an ischemic stroke, the most common form of stroke which is generally caused by a bloodflow obstruction.
Conversely, architects and scientists were found to be the least stressed, thought to be a result of having some ‘ownership’ of the role and feeling empowered.
Dingli Xu, MD, with Southern Medical University in Guangzhou, China, told the Telegraph: “Having a lot of job stress has been linked to heart disease, but studies on job stress and stroke have shown inconsistent results.
“It’s possible that high stress jobs lead to more unhealthy behaviours, such as poor eating habits, smoking and a lack of exercise.”