Can ‘Shift’ Culture Increase Type 2 Diabetes In Employees?

If you're feeling stressed because of long working hours or heavy workload or conflict with the boss, go for a brisk walk. A 2017 study that appeared in the journal of Applied Psychology said that an hour of swimming or a brisk 90-minute walk can prevent the irritation of bad day from spilling over into your home.

Prolonged working hours: Can they increase the risk of developing type 2 diabetes?

Citing the increase in physical inactivity and decrease in physical activity among employees who work for irregular hours and shifts, Dr B M Makkar, President of RSSDI, says, "People who work in varying shifts and extend their work hours have become more prone to developing type 2 diabetes because of their lifestyle pattern. Those who work night shifts have an entirely different schedule of eating and sleeping. They work at night and sleep in the morning resulting in hampering their overall sleep cycle."

Physical Inactivity

Lack of time further results in a decrease in physical activity- meaning they are unable to perform physical activities compared to earlier. On the other hand, technological advances have contributed to physical inactivity as people nowadays control their daily chores via remotes. Working in varying shifts leads to poor lifestyle changes, affecting the metabolism and making them more susceptible to having type 2 diabetes.

To tackle the rising incidences of type 2 diabetes in the younger generation working in the shifting culture of corporate workstyle, we advise corporate employers and employees to include specific measures to curb the increasing cases of type 2 diabetes in young working people.

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Type 2 Diabetes In Younger Generation

Employers can organize informative sessions by doctors and specialists for their employees to understand what and hows of type 2 diabetes. Educating the employees about the disease is the key to decreasing its prevalence among them. The most crucial step that a company can take to prevent their employees from becoming susceptible to type 2 diabetes is that they can incorporate a compulsory slot of 30-40 minutes dedicated to exercise for the employees.

"Due to packed work schedules, employees do not get time to engage in some exercises at home, which contributes more to making them vulnerable to developing type 2 diabetes. In such scenarios, employers can take preventive steps for their employees by decreeing them to use those exercise slots provided within their working hours." says Dr B M Makkar, President of RSSDI.