Majority of corporate executives in India are unfit and overweight, says a study

According to a report on Fitness Levels of Corporate India released by health and fitness app HealthifyMe, at least 63 per cent of executives are overweight with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 23, which may lead to lifestyle-related health disorders and poor health. The study reviewed the diet and activity levels of close to 60,000 working professionals across 20-plus companies. It was done across professionals in the age group of 21 to 60 from factory workers, sales professionals, IT professionals, bankers and others in cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata and remote locations such as Jhagadiya, Khandala and Vapi by reviewing their diet and lifestyle. These executives were part of corporate wellness programs offered by HealthifyMe over a period of 12 months, explained HealthifyMe.

The study has some interesting findings. The most active professionals are in the consumer goods industry. When it comes to the number of steps taken in a day, an important indicator of activity levels, consumer goods sector stood first with a count of 5,988 average steps taken in a day. Those dealing with numbers in accounts and banks have to be more careful. The least active are executives from the financial sector with an average count of just 4,969 steps. Executives from other sectors like retails, manufacturing, marketing and IT take upwards of 5,000 steps a day.

"It is a matter of serious concern that so many executives across sectors are inactive and overweight. With people spending half of their lives in offices, it is time for corporate India to step up and take the responsibility for the health and fitness of their teams. Not only would this result in a fitter workplace - but also a more happy, focussed and productive one," says Tushar Vashisht, Co-founder & CEO, HealthifyMe. The company was co-founded in 2012 by Tushar Vashisht and Sachin Shenoy, and is claimed to be India's largest digital wellness platform catering to more than 10 million users in 300-plus cities with over 500 coaches.

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Another interesting observation in the study is that executives in India are mostly lazy and inactive during weekends and prefer less workouts. The calorie burn rate drops down to an average of 250 on weekends compared to 300 on weekdays.

Relying on quick snacks that contain highest percentage of fat and carbohydrates to kill diet, is the worst unhealthy habit among corporate professionals. While breakfast provides 29.8 per cent of energy contribution of fat, lunch provides 25.62 per cent and dinner gives 25.90 per cent fat. But the snacks corporate India munch in between provides the highest fat (33.71 per cent), one main reason for getting overweight. In the case of proteins, breakfast gives 14.3 per cent, lunch gives 16.7 per cent, snacks provide only 13.05 per cent. Dinner is the healthiest meal of the day for executives as it contains highest amount of protein, 17.31 per cent. When it comes to city-wise nutrient intake, executives in Kolkata consume the most proteins, followed by Delhi, Bangalore and Mumbai. On the other hand, executives in non-metros consume the highest amount of fats. Another interesting analysis of fat consumption across sectors reveals that employees from the retail space consume the highest percentage of fats as a part of their diet. On the other hand,  those from the FMCG sector consume the highest amount of proteins. Executives with manufacturing and marketing field have to be careful. Their protein intake is only 13.72 per cent and 15.28 per cent, respectively, while executives in FMCG sector are the top protein intakers with 16.38 per cent, followed by consumer goods with 16.03 per cent.

According to the data, running is the most popular activity for both males and females. Other activities that are popular amongst male executives are bicycling, gym workouts and swimming. Women prefer more of indoor activities that can be done at home, for example, yoga and other home workouts.

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