• 26
  • November
    2011

A recent report from the New York Times highlighted the growing trend of obese truck drivers. Eighty-six percent of truck drivers are overweight or obese, according to the Journal of the American Dietetic Association. Obesity puts drivers at a greater risk for a sudden health event such as a heart attack or a stroke that can cause fatal car and truck accidents.

The growing concern for the health problems afflicting 3.2 million truck drivers has caused truck companies and truck insurance companies to pressure drivers to get healthy. Programs that reward drivers for weight loss have seen some results, but more is still needed to get drivers moving.

One of the major reasons for the health problems with truck drivers is their sedentary lifestyle. Most drivers travel thousands of miles each week with little exercise or activity. The rest hours are spent lounging in the cab. Food on the road also consists of fast or convenience food and high-calorie sugar drinks such as pop or energy drinks.

The result is that of the 87 percent of crashes caused by truck driver errors, approximately 12 percent of all truck accidents caused are caused by health problems, according to the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.

Source: New York Times "A Hard Turn - Big Rig Drivers Focus on Getting Healthy," Abby Ellin, 11/21/2011