Stress in the Workplace: How to Recognize and Reduce It

Eating disorders are prevalent conditions that affect millions of people around the world. ED pose a significant threat to organizations because of the economic burden and impact on the health of employees. There are different researches that demonstrate that stress is a contributing factor to eating disorders. This study will demonstrate that high levels of stress in the workplace will be connected to the advancement, exacerbation or relapse of eating disorders. The study will employ quantitative research as its primary research design to generate knowledge and understanding of the research topic. The study will have 300 participants suffering from ED from 15 private and 15 public companies. The research will use survey research as its primary research method. Data will be collected through questionnaires sent through emails. The researcher employed a coding scheme to sort the transcripts and meta-analysis to appraise the data. Findings from the research demonstrate a positive correlation between high levels of stress in the workplace and the advancement, exacerbation or relapse of eating disorder. 

Stress in the Workplace can Lead to Health Hazards 

Problem 

Eating disorders (ED) are prevalent disorders that impact about 9 percent of the global population. Approximately 9 percent or 28.8 million American citizens will experience an eating disorder in their lifetime (Eating Disorder Statistics, 2020). Eating disorder is among the deadliest mental illnesses. Nearly 10,200 deaths each year are associated with ED. About 26 percent of individuals with ED attempt suicide (Eating Disorder Statistics, 2020). The economic burden associated with eating disorders is 64.7 billion dollars each year (Eating Disorder Statistics, 2020). The workplace is a significant life scene for employees, and it is normally connected to positive psychological outcomes for staff. However, a stressful work environment can lead to stress among employees which can ultimately result in eating disorders. When an employee feels stressed out or overwhelmed at work, eating disorder behaviours can be triggered as a form of coping mechanism. Then, the negative thoughts, fears, and compulsive behaviour s associated with ED will increase stress levels and result in a vicious cycle that is detrimental to employees' physical and mental health. However, few studies explore the association between workplace stress and ED. This has resulted in research gaps on the topic. This study will describe and show the relationship between workplace stress and eating disorders. 

Literature Review 

Eating Disorders and Impacts on Employees 

The frequency of eating disorders has increased in the United States. ED are intractable disorders that need extended treatment. An eating disorder can be described as a scope of mental disorders that are characterized by disturbed or abnormal eating habits. EDs are severe and at times, deadly illnesses. According to ANAD, over 9 percent of Americans struggle with eating disorders and the condition results in approximately 10,200 deaths each year (Eating Disorder Statistics, 2020). Body shape, weight, and obsession with food may signal an eating disorder. ED is a significant illness that affects millions of Americans. 

There are three common types of ED; and they include anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge eating disorder. Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a very distinctive mental health disorder. The disorder is associated with a fear of adding weight, refusal to maintain the average body weight, having a distorted body image, and the use of dangerous measures in order to keep weight off (Zam, Saijari & Sijari, 2018). Bulimia nervosa (BN) is a potentially fatal eating disorder. The disorder is described by a cycle of compensatory or bingeing behaviours that include: self-induced vomiting designed to compensate or undo the impacts of binge eating (Zam, Saijari & Sijari, 2018). Binge eating disorder (BED) occurs when people have recurring episodes of consuming considerably more food within a short period than most individuals would consume under comparable situations, with episodes characterized by feelings of lack of control. People who suffer from BED often eat fast even when they are not hungry. They may have feelings of disgust, humiliation or guilt and may opt to hide and eat alone. 

Eating disorders are prevalent conditions among employees, and it can be considered to be a workplace hazard. Eating disorders are severe, potentially life-threatening conditions that impact an individual's physical and emotional health (Eating Disorders, 2020). Eating disorders can impact every organ system in the human body. People struggling with EDs require professional assistance and treatment. EDs presents neurological health consequences. Eating disorders result in physical problems, such as low blood pressure, damage to critical organs including the brain and heart, anaemia, infertility, severe constipation, osteoporosis, and gastrointestinal issues (Eating Disorders, 2020). The ED can be fatal for some individuals. People with anorexia nervosa are eighteen times more likely to die than people without the illness. Some EDs deprive the brain of the required energy, which can result in difficulties in concentrating and obsessing about food (Health Outcomes, 2018). Severe dehydration associated with ED affects electrolyte balance that can result in muscle cramps and seizures. ED also has endocrine consequences. Eating disorders can result in the development of hypothermia. Binge eating has gastrointestinal implications since it can result in the rupturing of the stomach. It can also result in vomiting and nausea and bacterial infections (Health Outcomes, 2018). ED also has cardiovascular consequences because they increase the risk of heart failure. 

Impact on Organization 

Eating disorders have an indirect impact on organizational performance. ED possess numerous consequences that affect the physical and mental health of employees. Employees with compromised physical and psychological health are unable to work effectively or even be present at work (Eating Disorders, 2020). This has an impact on organizational performance. Additionally, ED has a high economic burden that impacts the profitability of organizations. Companies are usually required to cover behavioural and medical health costs related to the treatment of EDs (Eating Disorders, 2020). The economic burden associated with eating disorders is 64.7 billion dollars each year (Eating Disorder Statistics, 2020). Therefore, eating disorders impact the performance and productivity within organizations. The ED also affects the productivity of organizations because of the high economic cost associated with the illness. 

Workplace Stress and Common Triggers 

Stress in the workplace is a significant risk factor to employee's health that triggers the workers to be less productive and poorly motivated. Work-related stress is concerned with those aspects of the organization and management of work and work design in their environmental and social contexts that have the potential for causing physical, psychological or social harm. Exposure to psychosocial risks in the workplace, including effort-reward imbalance, poor organization climate, insufficient leadership, injustice at work, and poor decision latitude have been linked to poor mental health (Hassard et al., 2018). Increased impairment behaviour, such as, poor physical health, alcohol, consumption, increased smoking, may result in stress which reduces performance and results in poor safety outcomes within the organization. According to Mukosolu et al. (2015), other factors that result in workplace stress include the use of avoidance focused coping, anxiety, depression, lack of support from supervisors and co-workers, and job demand. Understanding workplace stress is critical in developing comprehensive approaches that can be used to reduce stress to make the work environment conducive for employees. 

For people prone to the development of EDs, there are several triggers which may be encountered in the workplace. Some of the most common workplace stressors include a lack of time to take a proper break, workplace cafeterias which offer specific meals instead of a range of options to choose from, the presence of vending machines that sell candy, chocolate, and snacks that serve to exacerbate the stress or guilt cycle. Another trigger is an unhelpful workplace culture which allows workers to mask their eating disorders. When workplace triggers are added to the stress of attempting to meet difficult deadlines and complete work in a potentially unsupportive and difficult environment, it can create an environment that is not conducive to employees who at prone to eating disorders. 

How Workplace Stress is Related to Eating Disorders 

Workplace stress and eating disorders have a strong correlation which results in a vicious cycle. When employees are exposed to a stressful workplace culture or feel overwhelmed, those with ED disorders can be triggered. Eating disorders are often employed as a coping mechanism in stressful situations. Eating disorders makes often makes people feel embarrassed, disgusted or guilty, and this often contributes to an increase in stress levels, creating a vicious cycle. ED have a strong association with isolation and secrecy. Over-stressed is also isolating. Stress in the workplace stress triggers ED behaviour among employees. Eating disorders also contribute to stress; the two conditions influence each other. 

Conceptualization 

The study will focus on how organization stress will result in the development, exacerbation or relapse of eating disorders. There are a few studies that explore the relationship between organizational stress and eating disorders among employees. As a consequence, multiple research gaps exist on the issue. The topic is an area of importance because eating disorders have a severe impact on the psychological and physical health of employees as it impacts their ability to function and stay in work. There are situations when ED could have fatal impacts on people. ED affects 9 percent of American citizens, and it results in approximately 10,200 deaths every year (Eating Disorder Statistics, 2020 ). ED also has a high economic cost of approximately 64.7 billion dollars annually. This study will shed light on the relationship between stress and eating disorders (Eating Disorder Statistics, 2020 ). The study will look at the factors that result in stressful situations in the workplace and develop solutions that can help reduce the prevalence of stress within organizations. The study will also explore treatment options for employees with eating disorders. The study will help fill existing research gaps in the association between work stress and eating disorders among employees. 

Identification of Variables 

The study will have two primary variables; the independent variable and the dependent variable. The independent variable in the study is workplace stress. Workplace stress is the treatment that will be applied to different groups in order to determine its impact on the sample population. The independent variable will remain unchanged by the other variables being measured in the research. On the other hand, the dependent variable in the study is the eating disorder. The dependent variable is the variable being measured in the research. The dependent variable, eating disorders, is determined by the independent variable, workplace stress. The study will look to assess the effect of workplace stress on eating disorder among employees. 

Hypothesis 

H 0 : High levels of stress in the workplace will be connected to the advancement, exacerbation or relapse of eating disorder. 

H 1 : High levels of stress in the workplace is not be connected to the advancement, exacerbation or relapse of eating disorder. 

Research Design 

The study will employ quantitative research as its primary research method. A quantitative research design will help to generate knowledge and create an understanding of the impact of organizational stress on eating disorders. The research design offers data that can be expressed in numbers. As a consequence, the researcher can apply a statistical test to the data to determine the patterns and trend within the data. The study will employ a correlation to determine the relationship between workplace and eating disorders. The research design will also look at the critical factors that contribute to organizational stress. Quantitative research design is ideal for the study because the framework is objective and reliable. This will allow the researcher to conduct the research and table the findings objectively. The design is also ideal because it will reduce and reconstruct a compound problem to a limited number of variables. The researcher will use the research design to explore the association between. The research design assumes that the sample is representative of the population, and therefore findings from the study can be applied to a more significant population. The qualitative research design is perfectly suited to determine how stress in the workplace is related to the advancement, exacerbation or relapse of ED. 

Participants 

The sample population for the study will compose of 300 participants, 15 public organizations and 15 private organizations. The large sample population will help offer a better illustration of the general population. The participants were chosen through simple random sampling techniques to eliminate the possibility of bias in the research. All the participants selected in the study suffered from eating disorders. One hundred twenty participants struggled with anorexia nervosa, 94 suffered from bulimia nervosa, and 86 of the participants struggled with binge eating disorder. One hundred fifty-eight participants were men, while 142 participants were women. The participants of the study will be aged between 19 and 60 years. All the participants were inactive in employment and were spending at least 6 hours within the work environment. All the participants were volunteers and fully agreed to take part in the study and answer question honestly. The selection process will ensure that the participants are meet the criteria required in the study and that they are representative of the larger population. 

Ethical Considerations 

The research will follow a number of critical ethical considerations. The participants selected for the research should be volunteers. The participants will be required to give full consent before taking part in the study. This is central to the study because it will ensure that participants are eager to participate in the stay and offer correct data that will help eliminate the possibility of bias. The participants of the study will also not be subjected to harm. The researcher followed safety policies and guidelines while conducting the study to ensure the process does not physically or emotionally harm the patients. The research will prioritize and respect the dignity of the participants. The study will ensure the privacy and confidentiality of the data provided by the study participants. This is critical to allow participants to offer valid and factual information concerning the study. The study will also refrain from the exaggeration, deception or distortion of findings and will ensure that the process embraces the truth. 

Measurement/Equipment 

The research will use survey research as its primary research method. A survey is a quantitative research method which features the use of self-report measure on the sample population. The survey is an ideal model for the research because it offers a flexible approach which can be used to study a broad scope of applied and basic research questions (Overview of survey research, n.d.). The method will ask participants to report directly on their behaviours, feeling, and thoughts. The research model is also suited to the large random sample size because it will offer a better and more accurate estimate of the environment (Overview of survey research, n.d.). The method is advantageous to the research because it is flexible, i.e., because it can be employed in different models, it is dependable because it offers anonymity which allows participants to answer questions with more valid and candid answers. The model was also extensive and thorough. The researcher selected the model because it is cost-effective. 

Data Collection Methods 

The research will employ questionnaires as the primary means of data collection. The researcher will send the questionnaires to the participant via emails. The questionnaires will be comprehensive and answer critical research questions to meet research objectives. The research questions will look to determine the effect of workplace stress on eating disorders for employees. The organization will also explore the critical aspects that underwrite workplace stress. The research will look at the impact of workplace environment on the physical and psychological health of employees, and the impact on organizations. Questionnaires are ideal for the study because they are simple to create and are inexpensive. They are questionnaires will answer be engaging and ask questions that help the study collect relevant data that can be used to determine the research hypothesis. The research questions will be based on the hypothesis and problem. The questionnaire will be appraised through a pilot study. After the validity has been established, the questionnaires will be sent to the participants. 

Data Analysis 

The data collected from the study will be encoded inductively based on a constant, interactive, comparative method with an emergent design. The data was appraised according to the 3-stage grounded model. The data from the questionnaires will be divided line-by-line into various segments that are applicable to our research questions. The researcher also developed a coding scheme to appraise the transcripts from participants. The researcher will frequently assess the coding scheme to ensure appropriateness. The coding scheme will change and morph to meet the attention of participants’ transcripts that contain unique characteristics. The researcher will then use meta-analysis to analyze the data to determine trends and patterns within the data. The study is ideal because it combines the results of multiple scientific research. The researcher will interpret the findings of the study. 

Expected Result 

The research will demonstrate that workplace stress and eating disorders have a strong correlation. The strong correlation between organizational stress and eating disorders result in a vicious cycle. There are a number of factors that underwrite stress within the work environment, and they include poor physical health, alcohol, and consumption, and increased smoking (Hassard et al., 2018). The research was also able to establish that avoidance focused on coping, anxiety, depression, lack of support from supervisors and co-workers, and job demand were contributing factors to organizational stress. When employees with ED are exposed to a stressful workplace culture or feel overwhelmed, EB behaviours may be triggered. There are different triggers of ED. Some of the common triggers within the workplace include unhelpful workplace culture, vending machines that sell snacks, lack of breaks, and lack food a variety in the organizational cafeteria. The research established that employees use ED as a coping mechanism in stressful situations. ED makes often makes them feel embarrassed, disgusted or guilty, and this often contributes to an increase in stress levels, creating a continuous cycle. The research established that ED have a strong association with isolation and secrecy, and workplace stress is also isolating. Stress in the workplace stress triggers ED behaviour among employees. Eating disorders also contribute to stress; the two conditions influence each other. Workplace stressors and triggers contribute to the prevalence of ED within the work environment. From research determined that the primary contributor to workplace stress that contributes to ED are unsupportive work environment, high job demands and short deadlines. The research has been able to demonstrate that high levels of stress in places of work will be related to the advancement, exacerbation or relapse of ED. 

Organizations need to develop solutions to reduce organizational stress to address the prevalence of eating disorders. HR professionals and managers should focus on gaining a better understanding of the eating disorders and different contributing factors that underwrite stress and trigger ED. It is important to understand that ED is a mental health condition. The organization can offer counselling and clinical aid so that people suffering from ED can get professional help. The organization can also develop policies that make the workplace more conducive by instituting zero-tolerance policy on bullying and discrimination. Companies are also tasked with mitigating the burden associated with job demands such as short deadlines. Companies can also institute longer breaks to reduce the chances of fatigue within the organization. Future research should focus on determining the effectiveness of these proposed solutions on work stress and eating disorders. 

References 

Eating Disorder Statistics. (2020 ). ANAD.org, https://anad.org/education-and-awareness/about-eating-disorders/eating-disorders-statistics/ 

Eating Disorders. (2020). American Psychiatric Association, http://workplacementalhealth.org/Mental-Health-Topics/Eating-Disorders 

Hassard, J., Teoh, K. R., Visockaite, G., Dewe, P., & Cox, T. (2018). The cost of work-related stress to society: A systematic review.  Journal of Occupational Health Psychology,  23(1), 1. 

Health Consequences. (2018). NEDA.org, https://www.nationaleatingdisorders.org/health-consequences 

Mukosolu, O., Ibrahim, F., Rampal, L., & Ibrahim, N. (2015). Prevalence of job stress and its associated factors among Universiti Putra Malaysia staff.  Malaysian Journal of Medicine and Health Sciences,  11(1), 27-38. 

Overview of Survey Research. (n.d.). Research Methods in Psychology, https://opentextbc.ca/researchmethods/chapter/overview-of-survey-research/#:~:text=Survey%20research%20is%20a%20quantitative%20approach%20that%20features%20the%20use,basic%20and%20applied%20research%20questions 

Zam, W., Saijari, R., & Sijari, Z. (2018). Overview on eating disorders.  Progress in Nutrition,  20, 29-35.