KUALA LUMPUR (May 19): A recent study conducted by Herbalife revealed worrying findings that 81% of Malaysians spend an average of 6-12 hours a day behind their desks, their largely sedentary lifestyle putting them at high risk of obesity.

In a statement today, Herbalife said its  “Nutrition at Work” survey polled 5,500 full-time workers across 11 countries, including 500 from Malaysia and was designed to understand the lifestyle habits and attitudes of Asia Pacific’s modern workforce.
 
Malaysia’s dubbing as the fattest country in South-East Asia was only re-affirmed by Herbalife as survey findings showed 86% of Malaysian workers spending at least 6 hours a day sitting at their desk, with 50% of them eating lunch at their work desk two to five times per week.

Besides that, the survey found 86% of Malaysia’s workforce exercising less than three times per week, with 70% getting less than 30 minutes of physical activity a day at their workplace.
 
Sridhar Rajagopalan, sub-regional general manager of Herbalife Malaysia and Singapore noted that this problem was most likely a lifestyle and culture issue.
 
“By inculcating positive nutrition and active lifestyle habits to people in Malaysia, we hope that this will over time help reduce obesity risks, and lead to positive improvements to the well-being of our people,” he said.
 
Breaking it down further, females were more likely to spend more time at their desk than their male counterparts, with 67% saying they spend between 6-9 hours behind the desk daily compared to latter’s response of 64%.
 
Alternatively, millennials were found to be more sedentary than non-millennials, with 70% being likely to spend between 6-9 hours at their desks daily as opposed to 64% of non-millennials. 52% of millennials are likely to eat at their desks compared to 45% of non-millennials.

That said, the survey found that 66% of millennials said that they would be more encouraged to stay active if it was embedded in their company culture.