Study proves: Healthy and active lifestyle increases workplace productivity

Health is surely the most important aspect of life. A health-conscious, active lifestyle does not only have a positive influence on personal well-being, but has also a high impact on workplace productivity. This is the conclusion of a comprehensive US study, which investigated the eating and exercise habits of nearly 20,000 employees in relation to their work day. Published in the October 2012 issue of the “Population Health Management Journal”, the study provides new insights into the connection between lifestyle and working manner.

Health-conscious employees with higher productivity

In close collaboration with the “Health Enhancement Research Organization“ and the “Center for Health Research” at Healthways, Brigham Young University conducted the study, looking into health-related reasons for the so-called phenomenon “presenteeism”, which stands for physical presence at work while not performing optimally. The extensive surveys of precisely 19,803 participants from three different companies paint a clear picture. Employees with an unhealthy diet were 66 percent more likely to report having a loss in productivity than their co-workers who claimed to eat healthily. Similar results can be found regarding physical activity. Those who exercise rarely increase the risk of lowered productivity by about 50 percent. According to Science-Professor Ray Merrill, who led the study at Brigham Young University, “total health-related employee productivity loss accounts for 77 percent of all such loss”. The most productive employees, on the other hand, are identified by the study as those participants who have a healthy diet consisting of fruits, vegetables and cereal products, exercise often and do not smoke. Whether people consider a work day to be successful or not successful is therefore also dependent on personal eating habits, fitness and general well-being.

Active and healthy – Also at work

Personal well-being and a stress-free work atmosphere are important aspects for achieving success and productivity at the workplace. Stress is often not avoidable, but health and fitness are factors which can be controlled. A conscious diet and regular physical exercise not only improve personal productivity, but can also reduce the occurrence of diseases, such as diabetes and cardiovascular problems. Health-conscious employees especially pay attention to their meals and bring fruits, vegetables and whole-wheat products to the office. On top of that, nobody should neglect physical fitness. Employees are not restricted to work on their figure and fitness only before or after work; even at the workplace, every kind of movement counts. With the CaloriScan from Omron Healthcare, everybody can easily see how exactly activities in the office influence the personal energy consumption. Thanks to its sensitive 3-D sensor technology, the digital calorie counter precisely differentiates if the user is sitting or standing, if they are upright or hunched over, walking slowly or quickly, and also how often and how intensive they are physical active in a day. With these classifications, the handy device reliably calculates the resulting calorie consumption. Thereby, users can decide if they should take a little walk around the building after lunch. And with the additional movement and fresh air in the lungs, employees return to their desks more relaxed and productive.

Find further information and articles about an active and healthy lifestyle at www.mycaloriscan.com.

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About Omron Healthcare
Committed to improving people’s lives, OMRON Healthcare provides clinically proven, innovative medical equipment for health monitoring and therapy. Our product portfolio includes blood pressure monitors, respiratory therapy devices, electronic fever thermometers and activity monitors as well as body composition monitors and professional medical devices. OMRON Healthcare Group is headquartered in Kyoto, Japan. OMRON Healthcare Europe B.V. is the healthcare division for Europe, Russia, Middle East and Africa, and provides service to customers in more than 60 countries through a powerful distribution network.

For more information, please visit www.omron-healthcare.com.

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OMRON HEALTHCARE EUROPE B.V.
Matthieu Valk
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Email: matthieu.valk@eu.omron.com
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