Occupational risks associated with the prevalence of obesity in tele-service company workers

Obesity is considered the disease of the century, since the lifestyle has radically changed, increasing work activities with little physical effort, based on the use of computers, increasing the risks of obesity prevalence and health affectations. These can include a variety of secondary problems such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, coronary heart disease, stroke, arthritis, and osteo-muscular diseases. Based on these circumstances, we have chosen a specific group of laboring persons with the goal to study in detail these effects in employes who are more likely suffering by obesity-triggering conditions. Therefore, to evaluate the prevalence of obesity in a tele services company and its relationship with the increase in occupational risks, a sample of eighty persons has been realized by the application of several parameters. These included the use of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ) method, the description of nutritional habits and lifestyle, and the determination of the body mass index (BMI). This has been accomplished in a company, located in Quito, Ecuador and the study occurred during a period of the pandemic by the SARS-CoV-2 virus (covid 19), when these workers like the majority of the populations remained in their homes, proving additional reason to generate very little movement, providing even more negative conditions toward potential obesity and increasing anxiety levels. Based on these parameters, the occupational risk associated with the incidence of diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, cardiovascular problems and cardiovascular disease was calculated. The yielded results indicate that there is a prevalence of overweight-obesity of 75.6% in men and 41.7% in women. Such outcome most likely corresponds to the fact that the personnel have a low level of physical activities, and their diet is rich in fats and carbohydrates, which contributes to an increase in their BMI. Such studies and results are extremely useful in terms of health issues of employers and company-based preoccupations of the own employes as well as their work efficiency within a thorough ergonomic evaluation.