Addressing elephants in the workplace
The fight against non-communicable diseases is everyone’s concern
By Nickky Faustine De Guzman
Published: July 16, 2013
Workplaces serve as the
second home to employees hence they should be conducive and relaxing.
However, the opposite appears to be happening instead. Our offices are
slowly becoming toxic, creating a niche for growing elephants in the
room that results into threats of non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
The developing elephants in the workplace pertain to issues that are too important to be unnoticed yet are often ignored. These include overworked employees who are obliged to seat for extended hours, a practice that often leads to slouching. Studies say that improper posture and seating for long periods can cause heart problems, obesity, and back pains among others. Some of the employees also find an excuse to smoke and take comfort in caffeine and junk foods when stressed, which also causes poor health. In addition to these, few workplaces have neither gymnasium that promotes exercise nor cafeterias that offer healthy food options.
These scenarios lead to NCDs, which are the top causes of deaths in the world. According to the World Health Organization, NCDs are responsible for the 36 million fatalities in 2008, or 63% of the world total, where 78% of these occur in the middle and low-income countries, which includes the Philippines.
In the country, the four major NCDs are cardio vascular disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes. These account for 61% of the total deaths in the country in 2010. The burden of chronic NCDs is expected to rise worldwide to 74% by 2030. Also, chronic NCDs concern 61% of the total disability-adjusted life years of people aged 15-59, which comprise the workforce who are the economic backbone of a nation.
“Change can come easily when the elephants and riders move together. The elephants are the patients or the employees while the riders are the decision makers, doctors, and employers. If the riders don’t know how to direct well, they don’t take time to motivate, then the elephants won’t move. You can’t force an elephant to stop smoking, to diet, or to exercise without motivating him to do so,” the Department of Health Consultant on Lifestyle Diseases Dr. Anthony C. Leachon says in the recently concluded 5th Doña V. Tytana Memorial Lecture of the GT-Metro Foundation.
He suggests simple tricks such as using stairways, creating one’s own healthy baon, and a workplace intervention to change the sedentary lifestyle by educating the employees, promoting exercises through intramurals, gym membership, and having stand-up tables, among others.
The government and local agencies should also work hand-in-hand in helping curb the problems of NCDs in schools and workplaces. In fact, the Department of Health has recently introduced its “Pilipinas Go4Health” program that aims to curtail health issues on smoking, drinking, exercising, and eating healthy food via Go Smoke-free, Go Slow sa Tagay, Go Sigla, and Go Sustansiya programs. They aim for public awareness of the NCDs.
Workplaces feel the impact of NCDs through decreased productivity due to illnesses and absenteeism. In some cases, deaths and disabilities affect the functions of the company and create more costs for hiring of replacements. NCDs create domino effects on the overall welfare of workers, employers, economy, and nation, thus the need to address the elephants in the workplace and community.
The developing elephants in the workplace pertain to issues that are too important to be unnoticed yet are often ignored. These include overworked employees who are obliged to seat for extended hours, a practice that often leads to slouching. Studies say that improper posture and seating for long periods can cause heart problems, obesity, and back pains among others. Some of the employees also find an excuse to smoke and take comfort in caffeine and junk foods when stressed, which also causes poor health. In addition to these, few workplaces have neither gymnasium that promotes exercise nor cafeterias that offer healthy food options.
These scenarios lead to NCDs, which are the top causes of deaths in the world. According to the World Health Organization, NCDs are responsible for the 36 million fatalities in 2008, or 63% of the world total, where 78% of these occur in the middle and low-income countries, which includes the Philippines.
In the country, the four major NCDs are cardio vascular disease, cancer, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and diabetes. These account for 61% of the total deaths in the country in 2010. The burden of chronic NCDs is expected to rise worldwide to 74% by 2030. Also, chronic NCDs concern 61% of the total disability-adjusted life years of people aged 15-59, which comprise the workforce who are the economic backbone of a nation.
“Change can come easily when the elephants and riders move together. The elephants are the patients or the employees while the riders are the decision makers, doctors, and employers. If the riders don’t know how to direct well, they don’t take time to motivate, then the elephants won’t move. You can’t force an elephant to stop smoking, to diet, or to exercise without motivating him to do so,” the Department of Health Consultant on Lifestyle Diseases Dr. Anthony C. Leachon says in the recently concluded 5th Doña V. Tytana Memorial Lecture of the GT-Metro Foundation.
He suggests simple tricks such as using stairways, creating one’s own healthy baon, and a workplace intervention to change the sedentary lifestyle by educating the employees, promoting exercises through intramurals, gym membership, and having stand-up tables, among others.
The government and local agencies should also work hand-in-hand in helping curb the problems of NCDs in schools and workplaces. In fact, the Department of Health has recently introduced its “Pilipinas Go4Health” program that aims to curtail health issues on smoking, drinking, exercising, and eating healthy food via Go Smoke-free, Go Slow sa Tagay, Go Sigla, and Go Sustansiya programs. They aim for public awareness of the NCDs.
Workplaces feel the impact of NCDs through decreased productivity due to illnesses and absenteeism. In some cases, deaths and disabilities affect the functions of the company and create more costs for hiring of replacements. NCDs create domino effects on the overall welfare of workers, employers, economy, and nation, thus the need to address the elephants in the workplace and community.
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