Survey: Workers gain weight from staying at home

A Japanese company says more than half of the workers it surveyed have gained weight from staying at home during the pandemic.

Link & Communication, the creator of healthcare apps, surveyed about 2,800 company workers, monitoring changes in their weight and body-fat percentages.

The findings, obtained through the use of an app, showed that 57 percent of workers had gained weight as of May 16. Furthermore, 60 percent had experienced an increase in body-fat portions compared to figures recorded in January.

Among those who had put on weight, 32 percent gained less than one kilogram. Twenty-six percent acquired one kilogram or more, while some users put on as much as 10 kilograms of weight.

Data also showed a sharp decline in the number of daily steps walked by users. It found that 79 percent failed to reach 8,000 steps a day - a number that health authorities say is effective for disease prevention.

Due to the promotion of telework practices, many office staff now work from home. As a result, a lack of movement has increased their risk of developing lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and hypertension.

Some say the trend will change forever and now it's important to consider how to stay healthy and productive while working from home.