Overweight and Obesity among Office Workers: Causes & Prevention
Office workers are at a higher risk of obesity due to sedentary work, stress, sitting, lack of exercise, and irregular meals. We are all aware that these habits are not good, but let them continue for a long time, and as a result, many people are overweight - obese. This condition affects our appearance and leads to many metabolic disorders such as overweight-obesity, dyslipidemia, fatty liver, elevated liver enzymes, and hyperuricemia.
8/17/2023 2:30:48 PM
1. Office workers are at a higher risk of obesity
According to internal data, in the second quarter of 2023, the rate of employees having periodic health check-ups at CarePlus suffered from gastroenterology diseases from high to very high. Specifically: Overweight and obesity (44%), dyslipidemia (44%), fatty liver (28%), elevated liver enzymes (18%), and hyperuricemia (10%).
It is easy to see that nearly a quarter of people working in an office environment are overweight. Even though their BMI is within normal limits, some people accumulate visceral body fat (fat stored deep inside the belly, wrapped around the organs, including the liver and intestines).
Body mass index (BMI) is a medical screening tool that measures the ratio of your height to your weight to estimate the amount of body fat you have.
In general, the following BMI ranges (in kg/m2) classify different weight types:
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Underweight: Less than 18.5.
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Optimum range: 18.5 to 24.9.
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Overweight: 25 to 29.9.
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Class I obesity: 30 to 34.9.
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Class II obesity: 35 to 39.9.
Class III obesity: More than 40.
If your BMI is 25.0 to <30, it falls within the overweight range.
2. Causes of overweight and obesity at workplace
Let's have a look at a few additional reasons for overweight and obesity:
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Prolonged sitting: If you are not active enough, you do not use the energy provided by the food you eat, and the extra energy you consume is stored by the body as fat.
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Bad eating habits: Especially amidst busy schedules, employees do not pack lunch from home half the time. They would rather eat at fast-food restaurants or order online, which is one of the most unhealthy eating routines.
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Emotional overeating: There is a flood of emotions within us at times. Especially in the case of stress, anger, and depression - all negative emotions flow together.
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No time for exercise: Less free time to exercise, lazy to exercise, choose to rest instead of travel - play sports - exercise to improve stamina and endurance. Almost half of workers are unable to fit exercise into their daily schedule.
3. Health Effects of Overweight and Obesity
Obesity isn't just a cosmetic concern. It's a medical problem that increases the risk of many other diseases and health problems. These can include:
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Diabetes
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Heart disease
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Dyslipidemia
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Fatty liver
Even more dangerous is that they are at risk of stroke or cancer.
4. Nutrition consultation for overweight & obesity package
To meet the demand for comprehensive care, CarePlus develops a deep Overweight - Obesity Nutrition Examination Package to help you understand the most accurate health status and current nutrition regime.
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Step 1: Anthropometric assessment
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Step 2: Dietary assessment
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Step 4: Clinical examination
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Step 5: Individualizes nutrional prescription
Based on anthropometric, dietary, clinical, and paraclinical assessment results, the nutritionist will provide personalized nutrition counseling (*) for customers. Therefore, please get in touch with us to measure your body composition and screen for complications of obesity as soon as possible.
Besides that, you can also prevent overweight - obesity with a suitable lifestyle. Daily physical activities can improve your physical and mental health while increasing your productivity at work.
In short, to prevent occupational issues, you should be active and exercise more. There is also an annual periodic health screening to assess your health condition, early detection of diseases (if any), and timely treatment.