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[ FAST FACTS HAWAII ]

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Work is hazardous to your body weight

Work also is apparently helping an expansion of our waistlines -- with nearly half (47 percent) of 1,600 workers polled in May by the Web site Careerbuilder.com saying they've gained weight since they began their current jobs.

"Today's busy workers have trouble finding the time to cook healthy meals and exercise regularly, and their waistlines are suffering," said Rosemary Haefner, vice president of human resources at CareerBuilder, a Chicago-based job search site owned by three major newspaper publishing companies.

A few tips from Haefner for workplace weight management:

» Keep a bottle of water at the desk. Instead of reaching for a snack when tired or bored, grab the water. It's good for you and will help you feel full, not to mention hydrated.
» Blacklist the vending machines.
» Hang up the phone. It's easy to stay sitting all day, what with e-mail, the phones, etc. But walk to see someone you need to speak with.
» Resurrect your lunch box. Many of us don't take lunch to work, and 39 percent of workers said they eat out at least three times per week.. By bringing lunch, you save money, trim calories and control how much you eat.

Demand outstrips parking supply

A better business environment can induce a lousy side effect -- more expensive parking, according to a survey of 48 U.S. and 10 Canadian cities. Monthly parking rates increased 2.7 percent for reserved spots and 3.7 percent for unreserved spots. In the United States, daily rates rose 7 percent over the past year.

Not surprisingly, midtown Manhattan exacts the steepest parking toll: $492 per month for an unreserved spot, and $41 just for a spot for the day. Downtown New York City was second, at $444, followed by Boston ($425), San Francisco ($321) and Philadelphia ($318).

The lowest were in Phoenix ($37), Dallas ($65) and San Jose, Calif. ($75).

Toronto was the priciest Canadian city at $234 for an unreserved space.

The survey also found that 20 percent of U.S. parking garages have a waiting list, with an average wait time of 3.3 months.

"With the economy steady and new garage developments few and far between, the demand side is again anticipated to outstrip supply," said Ross Moore, vice president and director of research at Colliers International, a Boston-based commercial real estate consultancy that assembles the data annually.

Which financial advisors to avoid

As 401(k) plans proliferate throughout all levels of corporate America, many workers suddenly realize that financial planning can become a tricky struggle.What mix of stocks? Which bonds, if any? Are there tax considerations? Help, goes the collective cry.

Hence the financial advisers and all the help they can offer. But how to choose one?

Dave Barrett, an investment adviser in Richmond, Va., offers a few tips on which sorts of advisers to avoid:

» Any who promise a specific return.
» Any who don't disclose fees and expenses, including those involved in your transactions.
» Any who rush to sell you new "solutions" quickly, without inquiring deeply about your goals, risk tolerance and time horizon.
» Any who don't offer a fair and honest opinion of where the adviser believes you are now.

"If they are working on a fee basis, you must be able to trust the adviser will try to offer you a solution that will improve your position, rather than a product with a commission that will boost their revenue," Barrett said.