Get Fit at Workplace

Get fit at the workplace

By Lili Lajman

To get their employees to live healthier, more companies are setting up fitness programmes and facilities, writes Lili Lajman

I USED to work in the banking industry, attached to one of the major international players in Kuala Lumpur. One of the many things I liked about my previous workplace was the fact that it had a gym.
Although I rarely used the gym as I was already frequenting another closer to home on weekends, it was comforting to know that the facility was just a few steps away in case I needed to work out on weekdays, to sweat away the unwanted-but-always-there calories and work stress.
But this bank is not unique. Many banks  provide gym facilities for staff in their headquarters. And from the looks of it, this healthy trend is growing in all industries in the country.
More and more companies are getting their office premises fitted with a gym. This positive move may just help boost the health and fitness level of a huge percentage of the working population.
The New Straits Times Press too has a well-equipped gym at its main office in Jalan Riong, Bangsar. It has also gone a step further in its bid to promote a healthier lifestyle among its employees by organising weight management programmes, periodic health talks and Health Awareness Day.

WEIGHT LOSS PROGRAMME
NSTP launched its weight management programme, called the Lose Big Win Big Contest, in 2011. It ran for six months, with participants working out at the in-house gym under the supervision of personal trainers.
Last year, the company and Media Prima Berhad (MPB) took a different approach by introducing the Kilos For Cash (KFC) programme where participants were given the freedom to formulate their own exercise and diet regime.
Overseeing the programme is Dr Rohaya Ramli, director and family physician at the Bakti Healthcare. She says:  “NSTP-MPB embarked on this programme to encourage the workforce to lose weight the healthy way — that is through regular exercise and a low calorie healthy diet.”
The KFC contest, which ran for 100 days, was open to NSTP-MPB staff who registered a BMI reading of 25 and above. However, they must be fairly healthy, not pregnant or suffering from any serious medical condition or injury. They must also not be on any concurrent weight loss medications or slimming programmes.
“Following last year’s success, the management has decided to continue it this year. The programme, which started in mid-June will be ending on Sept 13 and lucrative cash prizes awaiting the winners,” adds Dr Rohaya.
Interestingly, KFC has its own Facebook page to provide an easy communication channel between participants and the  committee members.
Additionally, healthy cooking demonstrations are also carried out for the benefit of the contestants. Clearly, proactive employer engagement has proved to be valuable in ensuring employees’ fitness and hea

DIETARY INFORMATION
According to independent researcher Dr Mageswari Rajoo, employees with desk-bound jobs generally tend to have a weight problem. When a company takes the initiative to undertake work wellness programmes, these employees may be encouraged to lose weight the healthy way.
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Dr Mageswari conducted a study to investigate the effectiveness of 20-30 minutes of physical exercise as part of the wellness programme. Her study focused on a six-month programme at an oil and gas company in Terengganu. It began in 2009 and is still ongoing,
“The company showed its commitment to the cause by providing gym facilities. In 2009, there was only one treadmil. Today, there are four,” she says.
The programme consists of simple exercises such as aerobics, squats or walking on the treadmill. Over the years, there were different groups of participants from the pre-retirement group aged 40-55, with a BMI of 25 and above.
Presenting her findings at the recent 2nd International Congress in Sports and Exercise Medicine 2013, Dr Mageswari  said that when people were at work, they generally did not exercise. However, when companies make it easier for them to work out in the office, some are more inclined to do so.
“We also found that those provided with dietary information tended to lose more weight compared with those who only focused on exercise. This was mainly because they were made more aware of what they eat, especially the calorie content,” she said.
“Our lifestyle is different from that of our grandparents. Apart from the food factor, we live a sedentary lifestyle, which contributes to obesity.”
Recently Deputy Health Minister Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya  said that there are about three million obese Malaysians and that the number is increasing. Also, there are about five million people who have varying degrees of diabetes.
The numbers are alarming, to say the least.
Professor Datuk Dr Mydin Musa, president of the Society Of Sports and Exercise Medicine Malaysia, said: “Healthy Malaysians would mean a healthy productive population and healthy wellbeing can be achieved through sports and exercise. Corporate companies and government bodies should take the initiative to provide proper gym equipment and trainers as well as organise sustainable wellness programmes, including awareness talks and campaigns at the workplace.”
With the recent launch of the Youth and Sports Ministry’s Gym Makes Me Fit & Healthy 2013 programme for its employees, perhaps more ministries and government bodies as well as the corporate sectors will jump on the health bandwagon.

Read more: Get fit at the workplace - Health - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/life-times/health/get-fit-at-the-workplace-1.348045#ixzz2fRtLQi5A

Obesity in Asia

Obesity affects 58 million people across the nation and its prevalence is increasing. Approximately one-third of adults are estimated to be obese.

Malaysia has the highest obesity rate in Southeast Asia and ranks sixth in Asia-Pacific region. According to the Deputy Health Minister of Malaysian, the daily sugar intake among Malaysians was too high, at 51g, which was above the World Health Organization (WHO) recommendation, at 50g. Of the 1,266 food samples analyzed in 2009, 92 samples or 7.3 per cent were found to have too much sugar. In 2011, two thousand four samples were analyzed of which 108 or 5.4 per cent were found to have an excessive amount of sugar.

Obesity results from a complex interaction of genetic, behavioral and environmental factors causing an imbalance between energy intake and energy expenditure. According to the National Institutes of Health, an increase in body weight of 20 percent or more above desirable weight is the point at which excess weight becomes an established health hazard. Lower levels of excess weight can also constitute a health risk, particularly in the presence of other disorders like diabetes, hypertension and heart disease.

What is Obesity?

The definition of obesity varies depending on what one reads. In general, overweight and obesity indicate a weight greater than what is considered healthy. Obesity is a chronic condition defined by an excess amount body fat. In another word, obesity, in fairly simple terms, excess body weight resulting from eating too much and exercising too little, due in large part to a lack of willpower or self-restraint.

Height-weight tables indicating "ideal" weight have been in use since 1959 but have their shortcomings. A newer measure of obesity that is gaining in popularity among researchers and clinicians is the body mass index (BMI). BMI is the body weight in kilograms divided by the square of the height in meters ([weight in kg] ÷ [height in meters] 2). Since BMI describes body weight relative to height, it is strongly correlated with total body fat content in adults. An adult who has a BMI of 25-29.9 is considered overweight, and an adult who has a BMI over 30 is considered obese. BMI does not actually measure body fat, but generally correlates well with the degree of obesity. The categories of obesity developed by the World Health Organization are:

• BMI 25 to 29.9 - Grade 1 obesity (moderate overweight)
• BMI 30 to 39.9 - Grade 2 obesity (severe overweight)
• BMI > 40 - Grade 3 obesity (massive/morbid obesity).

Using a BMI table, a person 5'6" tall weighing 140 pounds would have a BMI of 23, well out of the range of risk. That same 5'6" person weighing 190 pounds would have a BMI of 31, in the range of Grade 2 obesity.

A BMI of 27 or higher is associated with increased morbidity and mortality; this is generally considered the point at which some form of treatment for obesity is required. A BMI between 25 and 27 is considered a warning sign and may warrant intervention, especially in the presence of additional risk factors.