“Study Finds Working at Work Improves Productivity” proclaims a 2007 headline from the Onion.
Turns out so does eating well.
A new study published in the Journal of Population Health Management analyzed data from nearly 20,000 American workers and found that the presence of even just one unhealthy behavior increased risk of lost productivity:
- Those with an unhealthy diet were 66% more likely to experience productivity loss than those with a healthy diet
- Those who exercised only occasionally were 50% more likely to report lower productivity than those who exercised regularly
- Smokers were 28% more likely to experience lost productivity than were non-smokers
The authors conclude that health-related loss of employee productivity accounts for 77% of all such loss and costs employes 2-3 times more than their yearly healthcare expenses.
The bottom line? The boss might be really riding you on that deadline – but he’s paying for your stress if you’re not eating and exercising right.