A new study has found that office workers are becoming increasing inactive, resulting in a higher risk of obesity, according to findings published in the journal Preventative Medicine.

For this research, a team of investigators used statistics collected from a 26-year span, which included survey groups ranging from 17,000 to 132,000 people. While analyzing the data, the researchers searched for trends throughout the information that could link working in an office to weight gain.

The results of the study showed that during the 26-year time span, the obesity risk among office workers increased by 10 percent.

The researchers suggest that in order to prevent the continuation of this epidemic, people should incorporate exercise into their daily routine. For instance, the investigators recommend small amounts of physical activity throughout the day as opposed as to exercising once per day for several hours.

Carl-?tienne Juneau, lead author of the study, stated that “exercise can’t just be an individual thing anymore.” He added that “there are now tax credits for parents who register their child in a recognized physical education course, and a similar program could be developed in the workplace for employees.”

From 2007 to 2008, approximately one-third of Americans were considered obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.