10 IT Health Risks And How To Combat Them

Everybody seems to understand that movers and construction workers can have serious back and neck problems from their strenuous work.

But when you sit at a desk most of the day, people aren’t necessarily as sympathetic when you moan and groan about your spine, your sore throat, or your mood.

Based on anecdotal evidence gathered in various workplaces, here are the top ailments people in a typical IT office may face.

#1: A slug’s life

When the only body part you move in your job is your mouse finger, you just have to take fitness into your own hands.

Do you have to train for a marathon to lose some weight? Not at all, according to Dr. James Levine of the Mayo Clinic.

He found that the time spent sitting was more likely to correlate with weight gain than the lack of vigorous exercise. You can keep slim, according to Levine, by walking slowly (about 0.7 mph) two to three hours a day.

Although few of us can stroll around the neighborhood that long, several companies have developed workstations with treadmills attached so you can pseudo-walk while you check your e-mail or debug code.

It all makes CNET’s Mike Yamamoto wonder if there’s a conspiracy to tether workers to their desks. (You can download several tools from TechRepublic to help you evaluate and manage your weight, including a body mass index [BMI] calculator.)

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