Survey reveals that bosses less likely to get cancer

An Australian study recently found that certain occupations are more likely to have workers with certain health conditions, and the results were somewhat surprising. For instance, they found that people in management were less likely to have cancer than those who worked in skilled trades or who were laborers. The also found that those in the retail industry were more likely to have back pain or arthritis than those in more labor-intensive positions like construction.

What researchers were unable to do was discern why these trends are in place. It isn't necessarily that managers develop cancer less frequently than others, or that those in retail get hurt more often. It may be, for instance, that people who are prone to arthritis choose a field that requires less lifting.

What stands out most to me is that among the people surveyed -- age 45 to 64 -- two-thirds had some sort of chronic medical condition. Does that seem high to you? It does to me.