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Obesity and Work Don’t Mix

By Jason Yun

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Published: 04Oct2009
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Work and obesity. Is there a connection? There definitely is a connection with obesity and heart disease. That’s already been proven. But just being overweight by a little can lead to problems down the road.

In Ohio, my state, the obesity rate for the entire state for 2008 was around 28%. More then a quarter of the state is overweight. And let’s not beat around the bush with politically correct terminology either—Fat! More then a quarter of the state! But the overall average is about 1 in every 3 people for the entire United States.

Let me explain the difference between being obese and overweight. First of all depending on where you get your info it will be different. Overweight for women would mean that you are carrying 33% body fat or more, and for men 19% or more. And with regards to body fat there are age modifications. Apparently the older you get the higher your body fat percentage can be and still be considered in the same category as you were when you were younger, even though you are fatter. Ridiculous if you ask me.

Obesity on the other hand is when your body fat percentage is over 39% for women and 25% for men.

And then there is body mass index. Which for the general population is just fine, but for athletes and fitness buffs is all wrong. I would be considered overweight and close to obese with a body fat of around 10%-- see doesn’t work. But pretty much if your Body Mass Index (BMI) falls between 25-29.9 you are overweight, and if it is over 30 you are obese. There are BMI calculators all over the Internet that can help you find exactly what yours is.

But how does all that affect work performance? How does it affect life performance? The fact of the matter is it dramatically reduces the quality of both. Being overweight, or worse obese, has tremendous impact on your entire body and life.

First and foremost the number one problem associated with obesity is heart disease. About 70% of all heart disease related cases are related to obesity. Then of course there is all the other problems that you have probably heard of: diabetes, certain types of cancers, stroke, blindness, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, sexual problems, difficulty walking and breathing, joint pain, and many more.

Now that is quite an extensive list of ailments. Don’t you think that all those problems would lead to more doctor visits, more sick days. Another problem is the lack of concentration. With a list of ailments to deal with it is more then likely their mind will be somewhere else rather then on the task at hand. Diet plays a key in concentration level.

Which brings me to the reason the worker got to this point in the first place. Their diet and/or a lack of physical activity. It’s not hard to figure out: eat crap and don’t exercise you are bound to put on a few pounds. Unless you are a genetic freak blessed with a super fast metabolism, it’s unavoidable. Just how far they spiral into the overweight realm or even the obesity realm is really up to them.

Now again, diet does play a role in concentration level. There are certain foods that can boost brain function and concentration. Foods like blueberries, eggs, spinach, broccoli, tea, nuts, Omega-3 rich foods, and fish. Those are all very powerful foods not only for concentration but for general health as well. What are most employees eating for lunch or snacks at your workplace? And I’m not just talking the overweight ones, either. Most likely it’s something sugary, sweet, or fattening. Fast food is quite common.

Nutrition is just one part of it; the other is physical activity or exercise. In order to have the most powerful and productive workforce a company can have both of these things need to addressed either in the initial interview or by company wellness programs.

Let’s say you’re a hiring manager and you have two candidates interviewing for a job with the same credentials. One candidate is lean, thin and looks to be excellent shape, and the other is obese and can’t walk to your office without breathing heavy. Who are you going to hire? I know it’s illegal to discriminate against someone for anything. But do you think it doesn’t matter?

Jason Yun is a certified personal trainer and sports nutritionist. He is the owner of Yun Fitness Bootcamps in Columbus, OH. His goal in life is to educate as many as he can about the right way to eat and exercise. To contact him to speak at your local club, or organization please call 614-432-9703 or email him at JYun@Yunbootcamps.com For more information about his fitness bootcamps and for a 2-week free trial go to http://www.yunbootcamps.com/specialoffer.html .

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