5 ms·

If you’re in the U.S., have a couple kids and run into some health issues, and then you can talk to me about your savings accounts. You’re not wrong - personal

If you’re in the U.S., have a couple kids and run into some health issues, and then you can talk to me about your savings accounts. You’re not wrong - personal responsibility matters, but it’s way easier to slip into poverty than most young developers would like to acknowledge.

pkaye 8y ago
Having chronic health issues, I certainly can understand this. However the problem is not unique to software developers. I'd even say developers are in a better position than most other professions because it is an low exertion high income office job and they can do things like remote work.
- ericd 8y ago
  Well, lack of exercise isn't exactly good for you. In that way, we have a worse job than many from a health perspective.
  - pkaye 8y ago
    If you use obesity as a proxy, software and IT is probably not too far from construction which is a very physical activity. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/the-jobs-with-the-highest-obesity-rates/359849/ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/the-jobs-... The best indicator of low obesity prevalence seems to be if the job depends on a persons appearance and attire.
    - TeMPOraL 8y ago
      > The best indicator of low obesity prevalence seems to be if the job depends on a persons appearance and attire. That's probably just due to selection, though - if a job depends on appearance and attire, people not looking good enough won't get hired for it.
      - pkaye 8y ago
        So selection has a stronger influence of obesity than physical activity? More obese people work in construction than professional services? So it is not really that programmer are inactive but they select themselves out from some jobs because they are less that fit?
        TeMPOraL 8y ago
        Why not both? Sedentary lifestyle will promote obesity, while construction work will promote good shape to the degree you're actually doing manual labor (as opposed to management, office jobs or just driving heavy machinery). But good luck getting an appearance-based job if you're in a bad shape. Even if it's not frequently admitted, for some jobs, good looks are required qualifications.
deleted 8y ago
[deleted]

pkaye 8y ago

Having chronic health issues, I certainly can understand this. However the problem is not unique to software developers. I'd even say developers are in a better position than most other professions because it is an low exertion high income office job and they can do things like remote work.

ericd 8y ago
Well, lack of exercise isn't exactly good for you. In that way, we have a worse job than many from a health perspective.
- pkaye 8y ago
  If you use obesity as a proxy, software and IT is probably not too far from construction which is a very physical activity. https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/the-jobs-with-the-highest-obesity-rates/359849/ https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2014/03/the-jobs-... The best indicator of low obesity prevalence seems to be if the job depends on a persons appearance and attire.
  - TeMPOraL 8y ago
    > The best indicator of low obesity prevalence seems to be if the job depends on a persons appearance and attire. That's probably just due to selection, though - if a job depends on appearance and attire, people not looking good enough won't get hired for it.
    - pkaye 8y ago
      So selection has a stronger influence of obesity than physical activity? More obese people work in construction than professional services? So it is not really that programmer are inactive but they select themselves out from some jobs because they are less that fit?
      - TeMPOraL 8y ago
        Why not both? Sedentary lifestyle will promote obesity, while construction work will promote good shape to the degree you're actually doing manual labor (as opposed to management, office jobs or just driving heavy machinery). But good luck getting an appearance-based job if you're in a bad shape. Even if it's not frequently admitted, for some jobs, good looks are required qualifications.

deleted 8y ago

[deleted]