According to a recent survey by WorkHealth more than 40 per cent of the 56,000 Victorian employees surveyed have a high or very high risk of getting type 2 diabetes or heart disease.
The WorkHealth checks were carried out by health professionals and involved the completion of a questionnaire and measuring blood pressure, blood sugar levels and waist size.
The survey findings show that:
- 93 per cent do not eat enough fruit and vegetables
- 74 per cent do not do enough exercise
- 26 per cent are overweight
- 22 per cent have high blood pressure
According to Victorian WorkCover Minister Tim Holding, “These checks identified hundreds of workers who were walking time bombs needing immediate medical review”.