NEW DELHI: : Poor diet on the job is costing countries up to 20 per cent loss in productivity, either due to malnutrition that plagues some one billion people in developing countries or the excess weight and obesity afflicting an equal number mostly in industrialised economies, says an International Labour Office (ILO) study.

"Poor meal programmes and poor nutrition underlie so many workplace issues: morale, safety, productivity, and the long-term health of the workers and nations. But few workers are happy with their meal arrangements," says Christopher Wanjek, the study's author.

The study, says to be the first to examine workplace eating habits worldwide, says better nutrition can raise productivity rates, while meal programmes can prevent micronutrient deficiencies and chronic diseases, obesity with modest investments that can be repaid in reduction of sick days and accidents.

Diet-related diseases

In 2001, non-communicable (diet-related) diseases contributed to 46 per cent of the global disease burden and 60 per cent of all deaths worldwide, with cardiovascular disease alone accounting for 30 per cent of the deaths.

The global burden of diet-related diseases is expected to climb to 57 per cent by 2020. In Southeast Asia, iron deficiency accounts for a $5 billion productivity loss.

The cost of lost productivity in India, illness and death due to malnutrition is $10 billion to $28 billion, or three to nine per cent of gross domestic product.

In wealthier nations, obesity accounts for two to seven per cent of total health costs: in the United States the annual economic cost of obesity to business for insurance, paid sick leave and other payments is $12.7 billion .

In the U.S., where over two-thirds population is overweight, direct medical costs accounted for approximately $51.6 billion and lost productivity approximately $3.9 billion — reflected in 39.2 million lost workdays, 239 million restricted-activity days, 89.5 million bed-days and 62.6 million physician visits.

Food solutions

The study includes case studies demonstrating effective "food solutions" from variety of enterprises in 28 industrialised and developing countries.

Clean drinking water, an often over-looked issue in nutrition, is also highlighted.

Hunger and sustainable access to safe drinking water and basic sanitation represent some of the most serious challenges to the achievement of the U.N.'s Millennium Development Goals aimed at halving poverty by the year 2015.

This study reveals that these targets cannot be met only at the workplace, but that the workplace is in fact an essential place to start.

Healthy food (and protection from unsafe and unhealthy food and eating arrangements) is as essential as protection from chemicals or noise at the workplace.

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