Around 15 million office workers risk developing non-communicable diseases, seminar told

By The Nation

 

 

Some 15 million office workers risk obesity and jeopardise their health by working more than 40 hours per week and hence could develop non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a top Health Department official warned on Monday.

 

Health Department deputy director-general Dr Attapol Kaewsamrit was speaking during a seminar imparting training to staff of 12 government clinics and hospitals. The staff are in charge of counselling office workers on how to change their behaviour to avoid deadly NCDs.

 

The training, with cooperation between the Health Department, the Mental Health Department, Thammasat University’s Public Health Department and Srinakharinwiroj University, was held at the Royal City Hotel on Monday morning.

 

Attapol said some 15 million workers under the Social Security Fund spent at least 40 hours per week at their offices, leading to an accumulation of tension that affected their health.

He said these office workers became obese because they did not exercise and consumed too much sugar.

 

NCDs include high-blood pressure, diabetes, heart disease, artery-related disease, breast cancer and cervical cancer.

 

Attapol said NCDs are likely to rise among office workers and the tension could lead to depression. As a result, these workers fall into one of the most vulnerable groups at risk of committing suicide.

 

With the Health Department realising these risks, it had opened clinics to advise office workers to change their damaging lifestyles, he said. The clinics have been in operation for more than ten years now, being part of 12 community clinics, provincial hospitals, general hospitals, and tambon hospitals.

 

He said the department needed to train more staff to provide advice to office workers.

 

Mental Health Department deputy director-general Doctor Samai Sirithongthaworn said his department had found that office workers aged over 20 also risk losing motivation to work and could become depressed because of increased tension.

 

He said all companies and organisations should motivate their workers to exercise, learn to manage their emotions, consume healthy foods and avoid alcohol or smoking to stay healthy and avert depression that could prompt them to commit suicide.

 

Source: http://www.nationthailand.com/news/30372596

 

- © Copyright The Nation Thailand  2019-07-08

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11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Some 15 million office workers risk obesity and jeopardise their health by working more than 40 hours per week and hence could develop non-communicable diseases (NCDs), a top Health Department official warned on Monday.

I think it's scandalous! Having to work more than forty hours - mind you from what I've seen half the staff don't seem to work twenty hours.

 

I think I should have been dead years ago if this is the case. Working on-site I often had to work up to sixty hours a week to get the job done - I'm sure there's lots of others who have done the same.

Eeeh, when I were a lad...

 

1 minute ago, geoffbezoz said:

Those were the days for many of us.  When men were men. ????

Eeh by ech lad we was poor but we was happy.

What are things coming to? 40 hours a week, when i was a young man, that was part time.

11 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Some 15 million office workers risk obesity

Good news for the 'government'. The fat are not furious and won't revolt.

3 minutes ago, Lupatria said:

Good news for the 'government'. The fat are not furious and won't revolt.

New movie?

Fat 'n Furious 'n Krabi?

Where would one find someone in the LOS who works 40 hours/week?  Struggle into work at 0900 or 1000 carrying many plastic bags of goodies - spend a hour or so eating and gossiping with co-workers - then stop for coffee - surf the net - play a few games.  Now it is 1200 - time for a bit of work if they aren't asleep. About 1300 it is time for a couple hours to lunch or nap. Now it is 1500 - time for coffee break and to check Facebook, Line and YouTube.  1600 maybe a bit more work then head off to a bar to relieve the stress of another busy day!  Actual work time 2-3 hours!

 

During my work career my hours varied from 50 to 84 each week.  40 hours would have seemed like a vacation.

Where did they make up this number of AROUND 15 million? Borrowed from TAT?

Some off topic posts and replies have been removed. 

Used to work in an office in Bangkok probably about 60 hours a week, often weekends and public holidays and sometimes all night, and travelled  for work three months a year just to survive and keep a little bit above water in a cut throat competitive business. Lucky I got out early. I observed there were very few locals able or willing to work that hard. Many quit after three months to return to Thai owned firms when they understood what was expected of them in a foreign firm. I ended up hiring a lot of young expats who were not as well qualified on paper as some Thai applicants but really appreciated the opportunity and were willing to roll up their sleeves and graft. They could also write their own reports in English which saved me a lot of time editing and re-writing.

Where do they get these numbers from.???? Does someone just dream them up????

Just now, Blue bruce said:

Where do they get these numbers from.???? Does someone just dream them up????

Yes, the ones who only work 40 hours a week.

Not the hours spent but the work done. French have it right at about 35. Work efficiently and then go home.

15 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Some 15 million office workers risk obesity and jeopardise their health by working more than 40 hours per week

 

They're too often not so much 'workers', as office inhabitants. They may spend 40 hours at the office...but 39.5 of those hours are spent playing with their phones.

 

 

16 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

Attapol said some 15 million workers under the Social Security Fund spent at least 40 hours per week at their offices

They are at the office,,, but it doesn't say that they Working 40 Hrs,,,  Not even 20 hrs

Oh, i thought the main problem in the Thai work place 

was Lazyitis. 

10 hours ago, bluesofa said:

I think it's scandalous! Having to work more than forty hours - mind you from what I've seen half the staff don't seem to work twenty hours.

 

I think I should have been dead years ago if this is the case. Working on-site I often had to work up to sixty hours a week to get the job done - I'm sure there's lots of others who have done the same.

Eeeh, when I were a lad...

 

" I often had to work up to 60 Hours a week to get the job done "

Lightweight

3 minutes ago, Cake Monster said:

" I often had to work up to 60 Hours a week to get the job done "

Lightweight

Exactly. Not enough time eat food, so I'm not overweight.

21 hours ago, snoop1130 said:

working more than 40 hours per week and hence could develop non-communicable diseases (NCDs),

40 hrs is a standard working week .. 8 'till 5 , Mon to Fri .. What's the deal with that .. NCD's also stands for Non Convertible Debentures .. just thought I'd throw that in as they love an acronym in Thailand ..