« Back to Facilities Management News Home
« Commercial Office Facilities
ANN ARBOR, Mich. – In Humantech’s recent ErgoAccelerator e-newsletter article, “The Growing Problem in Ergonomics,” Certified Professional Ergonomist Blake McGowan explains the impacts obesity can have on work performance.
Obesity is no longer a topic that can avoided in the field of ergonomics. A person is considered overweight or obese when he or she has abnormal or excessive fat accumulation that may impair health. Body mass index (BMI) is a simple index of weight-for-height that is commonly used to classify adults as overweight or obese. It is defined as a person's weight in kilograms divided by the square of his or her height in meters (kg/m2). A BMI greater than or equal to 25 is considered overweight, and a BMI greater than or equal to 30 is considered obese. Obesity affects all aspects of our lives and daily activities, including our jobs.
The differences in the physical capabilities of the overweight and obese include:
Increased strength. Obese individuals have 20% higher absolute strength for hand grip and shoulder flexion during sustained isometric exertions (Cavuoto & Nussbaum, 2013).
Earlier and greater fatigue onset. Strength capabilities decrease greater and faster during repeated force/torque applications in obese individuals (Maffiuletti et al., 2007).
Increased postural sway. Extremely obese individuals (BMI ≥ 40) have higher postural sway than the non-obese during prolonged standing tasks (Singh et al., 2009).
Greater postural adjustments to maintain balance. When performing a forward reaching/aiming task, obese individuals primarily reach using the entire body, whereas individuals with a normal BMI mainly reach with elbow extension and shoulder flexion (Berrigan et al., 2006).
Increased movement time. When performing a forward reaching/aiming task, obese individuals have a longer movement time, which increases as task difficulty increases (Berrigan et al., 2006).
Reduced reach distance. Extremely obese individuals (BMI ≥ 40) have reduced functional reach capabilities (13" or 323 mm) compared to the non-obese (16" or 402 mm) (Singh et al., 2009).
Reduced trunk flexion. In the obese individuals, trunk forward flexion motion is restricted in both sitting and standing tasks (Gilleard & Smith, 2007).
Decreased range of motion (ROM). Obese individuals have significantly reduced ROM for shoulder extensions and adductions, lumbar spine extension and lateral flexions, and knee flexions (Park et al., 2010).
Listed below are four simple design principles and guidelines to address these differences in physical capabilities include:
1. Keep work close, within 16" (406 mm) from the front of the body
2. Keep it in the comfort zone, between 38" and 47" (0.97 to 1.19 m), or directly in front of the body between the shoulders and the knees
3. Provide appropriate equipment
4. Promote variety at the workstation
The prevalence of obesity in the United States continues to climb, exceeding 30% in most gender and age groups (CDC, 2011). According to the World Health Organization (WHO), globally, more than 1.4 billion adults were overweight in 2008 and more than half a billion were obese. By 2015, the WHO projects that 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT HUMANTECH:
For over 30 years, global companies have relied on Humantech for workplace improvements. By combining the science of ergonomics and our unique 30-Inch View®—where people, work, and environment intersect—we deliver practical solutions that impact safety, quality, and productivity. At Humantech, we believe people make productivity happen.
Companies that make the move from a reactive approach to injuries to a proactive and/or advanced approach to workplace design, find that ergonomics is central to executing business strategy at the highest levels. Humantech helps companies identify and quantify injury risk in the workplace, provides training and consulting aimed at removing that risk, and delivers ergonomics program management solutions that embed these processes into a corporate culture. Please visit us at www.humantech.com for more information.
