Local civil servants in poor health
15/6/2004 18:28
A sedentary lifestyle has weakened the health of local civil servants
so that the health of many is five years older than their real age, today's
Laodong Daily said, citing a late survey from Shanghai Sports Science Research
Institute on local government workers.
In the survey, more than half of the
government workers between 25 and 44 sit more than 5 hours each day, with some
30 percent sitting more than 7 hours.
Moreover, 63 percent of the workers
walk less than 10 minutes each day and more than 60 percent never take part in
sports. Few prefer to walk to work, and only a small number of people opt to
climb stairs rather that use the lift.
As a result of the lack of sports
activity, most of the civil servants are have limited power, with only 5 percent
scoring "excellent" in muscular power while 16 percent rated "extremely
poor".
To improve their health, the expert suggests more sports.
"Many
government workers don't think they have diseases, but in fact they are in poor
health and many complain of fatigue and stress," said Liu Xin, the sports
research institute's senior researcher.
To squeeze time for sports activities
out of their busy days, he advised them get off the bus several stops ahead of
the terminal and then walk home.
Local governments have noticed the health
status of their workers, the same Laodong Daily report said.
Some have
arranged health surveys in order to prepare corresponding measures to improve
employee health. Xuhui District Government, for example, has prepared a gym card
for their workers to encourage them to take more sports.
Jane Chen / Shanghai Daily news
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