One in four Victorian workers surveyed found to have high cholesterol

An analysis of  300,000 WorkHealth checks conducted in Victoria has revealed that 83% of participating workers who were found to be at high risk of cardiovascular disease, and 84% at high risk of type 2 diabetes, rated their health as ‘good’, ‘very good’ or ‘excellent’.

More than 340,000 Victorian workers had participated in the free, confidential, 15-minute WorkHealth checks so far, and more than 23,000 workplaces have signed up to the program. "We've found that 66% of workers tested have a medium to high risk for type 2 diabetes and nearly 18% have a medium to high risk for cardiovascular disease. The results also show that the majority of participating workers don’t eat enough fruit or vegetables or do enough exercise, and more than a third are drinking alcohol at risky levels. These are the types of habits that put them in the higher risk categories for chronic disease," said WorkHealth spokesperson Tim McLean.

"We are asking Victorian workers to think about what more they could be doing to protect their health. WorkHealth checks are a great starting place because this will tell you how healthy you are, and what areas of your lifestyle you might need to work on. We all lead busy lives. Many people see work as an obstacle to staying healthy, but we're saying it should be an opportunity. Simply taking the stairs instead of the lift, going for a walk at lunchtime or keeping fresh fruit and vegetables on hand for snacks can really make a difference," McLean added.

A total of 3218 workers were advised to visit their GP urgently within 24 hours due to having extreme risk factors, and the report found that nearly 23% of workers had a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. One in four Victorian workers had high cholesterol, and nearly half the workers tested had a waist measurement which put them at an increased or greatly increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to the report. Other findings of the report include: men were more than three times more likely than women to have an intermediate or high risk of cardiovascular disease; nearly one quarter of workers had elevated blood pressure, and this was twice as common in men than women; 92.9% reported eating less than the daily recommended intake of fruit and vegetables; 70% reported inadequate physical exercise; and 32.9% reported risky alcohol consumption. The analysis was conducted by Monash University in Clayton, Victoria.