One in four blue collar workers are at high risk of experiencing a heart attack, stroke or other cardiac problem in the next five years according to research carried out by workplace wellness provider, Vitality Works.
The research involved 4,284 blue and white collar workers across a range of public and private companies around the country and showed that a large proportion of the New Zealand workforce is overweight and unhealthy.
Each person was assessed by a consultation at their worksite by a health professional and measured across a range of areas including cholesterol, body mass index, blood glucose and risk of a cardiac problem.
Body mass index measurements showed that 77 per cent of males and 61 per cent of females were overweight, obese, or morbidly obese. Dr Clara Soper, operations director of Vitality Works, said that the findings were alarming for individuals and employers.
Factory and field workers are much more unhealthy than office workers. The body mass index measurements showed that 78 per cent of factory and field workers were overweight, obese, or morbidly obese compared to 63 per cent of office workers. Alarmingly, 28 per cent of factory and field workers are in serious danger of an adverse cardiac event compared to only ten per cent of those that sit behind a desk.
The female population faired better overall than the men but both sexes need to get serious about their health.
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