Office employees 'too tired' to exercise

(HealthDay)—Barriers and enablers for good nutrition and physical activity influence employee health behaviors, according to research published online Sept. 12 in the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Preventing Chronic Disease.

Krysten Blackford, of Curtin University in Perth, Australia, and colleagues conducted an online survey of 111 employees in 55 organizations to identify barriers and enablers for physical activity and nutrition and develop intervention strategies for health promotion in office settings.

The researchers found that the most common barriers to exercise and good nutrition among workers were fatigue and access to unhealthy food. Enjoyment of physical activity and knowledge of nutrition were enablers for good health behaviors.

"Many barriers highlighted the limited amount of time available to employees outside of working hours and the need to ensure healthy and supportive environments in the workplace," the authors write. "Intervention-strategy preferences demonstrated employee support for health promotion in the workplace."