Global Obesity ‘Has Reached Pandemic Levels’

Urgent action is required to limit the global fallout from rising obesity levels, according to a report published by health insurance provider Aetna International.  The report, based on data from the World Health Organisation (WHO), the United Nations, governments and the global food industry, calls upon governments, food producers, retailers, employers and insurance companies to combine their efforts to tackle the obesity crisis.

A Third Of Workers ‘Regret’ Actions After Drinking Alcohol

One in three (33%) UK employees say there is a drinking culture in their workplace and 29% have regretted their actions after drinking at work, a survey shows.  This is particularly true of younger age groups – more than half (53%) of those aged 25-34 have regretted their conduct after drinking with colleagues.  Canada Life Group Insurance warned that excessive alcohol consumption is also associated with a number of health problems, including a greater risk of liver disease, heart disease, sleep disorders, depression, stroke and several types of cancer.

Sickness and Injury Led to Loss of 4.3 Working Days Per Worker in 2016

An estimated 137.3 million working days were lost due to sickness or injury in the UK in 2016, official figures show. This is equivalent to 4.3 days per worker – the lowest recorded since the series began in 1993, when it was at 7.2 days per worker.  The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said since 2003 there has been a general decline in the number of days lost to sickness absence, particularly during the economic downturn.

Social Media ‘Bad for Mental Health’

Use of social media sites is leading to an epidemic of social isolation, with people who use social media for two hours a day particularly at risk, a study shows.  Adults who visit social sites 58 or more times per week are three times more at risk of isolation than those visiting less than nine times a week

Employees Need to ‘Walk Seven Miles To Combat Desk Job Risks’

Employees need to walk at least seven miles a day or spend seven hours a day upright to combat the dangers of a desk job, scientists have claimed.  A study of 111 healthy Glaswegian postal workers found a link between sedentary work and a bigger waist circumference and higher risk of cardiovascular disease.

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