Bad health? Blame your boss

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Bad health? Blame your boss

Dubai - Conducted by Bayt.com, the 'Health and Lifestyle in the Middle East and North Africa' poll found that 87.1 per cent of respondents claimed they will more likely exercise if their company offers a gym subscription. Only 2.3 per cent of respondents claimed otherwise.

By Staff Report

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Published: Sat 26 Mar 2016, 11:00 PM

Last updated: Sun 27 Mar 2016, 2:55 PM

 Around 96 per cent of polled respondents in the Middle East and North Africa believe it is the employer's responsibility to support and promote their employees' health and wellness.
Conducted by Bayt.com, the 'Health and Lifestyle in the Middle East and North Africa' poll found that 87.1 per cent of respondents claimed they will more likely exercise if their company offers a gym subscription. Only 2.3 per cent of respondents claimed otherwise.
Only three in 10 respondents said their companies provide fitness facilities or benefits to encourage a healthy lifestyle, while 60 per cent claimed the opposite. One out of every 10 respondents said they were not sure about the health benefits offered at their company.
The majority of Mena professionals take time to exercise throughout the week, with 29.1 per cent of them engaging in more than 30 minutes of exercise three or four times a week. Around 18.5 per cent of respondents said they exercise once or twice in a week.
Walking/running emerged as the exercise of choice for 29.7 per cent of respondents, followed by intramural sports at 17.8 per cent, swimming at 15.5 per cent, and lifting weights at 14.6 per cent. Around 13.3 per cent of respondents confessed to not engaging in any exercises at all.
"In terms of health, we can conclude that managers are perceived to set the tone for a healthy lifestyle inside and outside the workplace. When the prevailing management philosophy is based on healthy lifestyle choices, leaders within an organisation can direct employees by example and guide them in making decisions that promote increased wellness and happiness," said Suhail Masri, VP of employer solutions at Bayt.com.
"Work-life balance is very important to the regions' professionals, as we have repeatedly measured in previous career polls, and a significant ingredient in achieving this balance is finding and allocating requisite time to staying healthy, in terms of physical exercise and good eating and other improved lifestyle habits," he added.
When asked about the overall healthiness of their diet, six out of 10 respondents agree their diet is healthy, with 17.5 per cent claiming it is 'very healthy' and 43.1 per cent said it is 'somewhat healthy'. Conversely, 26.8 per cent of respondents believe their diet is 'not too healthy'.
Professionals eat more fruits and vegetables than fast food. Forty two per cent of respondents said they eat vegetables and fruits on a daily basis, 23.1 per cent said they eat them 'several times a week', and 11.5 per cent said they eat them 'less often'. Among those who agree to eating fast food, 16.7 per cent eat out every day, 14.1 per cent 'several times a week' and 23.8 per cent 'a few times a month'.
- rohma@khaleejtimes.com 


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