Discussion
It necessary that an adequate and regular approach to nutrition become a
global priority. Balanced nutrition and physical activity are two
significant factors for avoiding obesity and for having a healthy life.
It is clear that, particularly for individuals who work on at a desk for
most of their work day, nutrition and physical activity inadequacies
exist, made worse by time constraints.
Since people who work at a desk spend the majority of their time as
sitting and have a lack of physical activity because of this situation,
these people face the risk of obesity. 17, 18 In
research conducted on 130 employees who work at a desk, it was
determined that the BMI values of the women in this group were higher
than those of women in general at a meaningful level.26
In our study, we focused on volunteer subjects who work as academicians
at the university who we evaluated as employees working at a desk.
In this research, according to BMI values, 60% of women and 18.5% of
men were within the normal class, 35% of women and 63% of men were
within the overweight class, and 5% of women and 18.5% of men were
within the obese class.
In research conducted in Kayseri, for men aged 20 or above, the
prevalence of overweight and obesity as per BMI was found to be 39.6%.
In logistic regression analysis, being university graduate, being a
widower, having a family history of weight problems, and having obesity
with a BMI value of 25 kg / m2 were considered to be
risk factors. 27 In research conducted in Tokat, the
average values of BMI were found to be 25.7 in men and 27.9
kg/m2 in women; the prevalence of obesity was found to
be 33.6 in women and 12.9 in men, and, in women, meaningful level of
high obesity frequency was observed. 28
In this research, according to the BMI values of women, it was
determined that a statistically significant difference was not present
between age, PrBG, and PoBG a statistically significant difference was
determined, however, between the average values of WC
(P<0.000), total cholesterol level (P<0.050), HDL-c
(P<0.026), LDL-c (P<0.006), and triglyceride
(P<0.024). According to the BMI values of men, it was
determined that there was no statistically total cholesterol significant
difference between age, PrBG, total cholesterol, HDL-c, and LDL-c.
However, a statistically significant difference was discovered between
the average values of WC (P<0.001), PoBG (P<0.040),
and triglycerides (P<0.009).
In a study conducted in Japan with 634 men and 396 women who did not
have hypertension, it was determined that there was no significant
differences in the correlation between BMI, WC, and percentage of body
fat to cardiovascular risk factors. 29 In another
study conducted with 6027 female and male subjects in Japan, it was
discovered that BMI values were related to triglyceride, HDL-c, and
LDL-c serum concentrations in a significant way. 30Again, in another study, 44 overweight or obese people subjected to a
lifestyle intervention for three months based on nutrition training two
times a week, psychological support, and an exercise program. The
lifestyle intervention caused a significant reduction in metabolic
profile as including BMI, WC, systolic and diastolic blood pressure,
plasma glucose, and plasma triglycerides. 31 In a
study conducted with female workers working in a farm, a prevalence of
MetS, body shape, and individual risk factors was found to be
meaningfully high. It was found that MetS was related to BMI (p
<0.01), fat mass (%) (p <0.01), WC (p
<0.001), and HDL-c (p <0.001). 32In another study, when obese individuals were compared to those who were
not obese, while age, WC, fat mass, fat-free body mass, total body
water, and basal metabolism rate increased, the levels of high density
lipoproteins was found to be meaningfully low. In obese individuals,
there was a significant difference between values of blood glucose,
HbA1c, insulin resistance and C-reactive protein, and systolic and
diastolic tension values when compared to individuals who were not
obese. 33 In another study, the prevalence of
metabolic syndrome for obese women was found to be 56.9 %. While it was
found that, as obesity level increased, the average values of blood
glucose levels (p=0.048), the homeostatic model of assessment of insulin
resistance (HOMA-IR) (p=0.009), and insulin levels (p=0.031) increased
in a significant way although the levels of triglyceride, total
cholesterol, LDL-c and HbA1c were not statistically significant, an
increase was observed in them (p>0.05). It was determined
that, with changes in nutrition and lifestyle, a reduction in a tendency
towards obesity, dyslipidemia, and MetS 34 would
occur. A study revealed that, in Korean adults, age, gender, WC, and BMI
were positively correlated with hypertension. 35
To have healthy nutrition and healthy operation of the body, obtaining
55-60 % of energy from carbohydrates, 10-20 % from proteins and 25-30
% from fats 1,36 is required. In our study, by also
considering nutrition consumption, the relationship with parameters was
investigated. In our study, the difference between the milk consumption
levels of men and women and the average values of BMI, WC, blood
glucose, and blood lipids were not found to be statistically
significant. However. in a study of workers, it was determined that,
with an increase in milk consumption, there were increases in WC
(p:0.0001) and BMI. 37
In our study, the difference between the meat consumption levels of
women and average values of BMI, WC, blood glucose, and blood lipids was
not found to be statistically significant. In men, with an increase in
meat consumption, the difference between average values of BMI
(P<0.026) and WC (P<0.010) was statistically
significant.
In one study, while a significantly large number of workers consumed
meat (45.9 %), no correlation was found between meat consumption and
dyslipidemia. 38 In a study conducted with mine
workers in India 38 it was found that their protein
intake was significantly low.
In our study, the difference between the cereal consumption levels of
women and average values of BMI (P<0.035), WC
(P<0.025), and triglyceride (P<0.021) was found to
be statistically significant.
In a study, it was shown that consumption of full cereals (three
portions or more a day), correlated to BMI in 11 out of 14
cross-sectional studies, and that it correlated to low WC in three
studies (p<0.05). 39 In another study, full
cereal consumption had a strongly inverse relationship to waist hip
ratio and abdominal fats. 40 In a study conducted in
America, it was determined that cereal porridge was the most significant
factor in reducing
miyokardiyal
enfarktĂĽs risk and that, with each additional 10 g of cereal porridge,
the risk was reduced by 29 %. 41 In another study, it
was determined that consumption of a diet not including full cereals
increased the blood cholesterol level and that it led to the consumption
of fewer micronutrients. 42
In our study, the difference between the levels of fruit and vegetable
consumption in women and men and the average values of blood glucose and
blood lipids was not found to be statistically significant.
When a researchers evaluated 20 studies being conducted in different
regions of the world related to fruit and vegetable consumption, they
determined that high consumption of fruits and vegetables reduced blood
pressure, improved vascular function, and had positive effects on BMI,
WC, and cholesterol values. 43
In our study, the difference between fat and sugar consumption levels in
women and average values of BMI (P<0.013), WC
(P<0.003), and triglyceride (P<0.006) was found to
be statistically meaningful. In men, the difference between fat and
sugar consumption levels and average values of blood glucose and blood
lipids was not found to be statistically significant.
In our research, we discovered that, as physical activities increased,
the average levels of BMI, WC, PrBG, PoBG and triglyceride were reduced.
It was determined that there was an increase in HDL-c levels depending
on the increase in physical activity levels.
In the literature, studies conducted with different groups11,44,45,46 concluded that, as BMI increased, PAL
decreased. In certain studies, with people who had high levels of BMI
and were defined as obese, physical activity values were found to be
significantly low, not only in employees working at a desk but in all
groups generally.
The BMI values of physically active subjects were low.47,48,49,50 In one study, it was determined that the
physical activity levels of individuals working at a desk were generally
insufficient but that this did not have a relationship to obesity with
respect to BMI. 51
In our research, when subjects were investigated according to their PAL,
it was determined that 85.00 % of women had a low level of physical
activity and that 15 % of them had a normal level of physical activity.
It was determined that women did not have an intense level of physical
activity. In men, the ratio of those having a low level of physical
activity was determined to be 66.70 %, the ratio of those with a normal
level of physical activity was found to be 22.20 %, and ratio of those
having an intense level of physical activity was found to be 11.10 %.
In a study investigating the physical activity levels of academicians at
Cukurova University, it was determined that 57.5 % of academicians in
the Faculty of Religious Studies and the Faculty of Education, 55 % of
academicians in the Faculty of Medicine, and the 22.5 % of academicians
in the Faculty of Agriculture did not take part in physical activity.52 In another study, a statistically significant
difference was not found between the BMI, the body fat mass (BFM), the
body fat percentage (BFP), and the PAL of the academic personnel working
at Nigde Omer Halisdemir University. Because academicians spent the
majority of their day working at a desk, it was emphasized that their
PAL were very low, and that, because of a lack of movement, their risk
of having diseases like obesity, high blood pressure, etc. increased.53 In a study at Karadeniz Technical University, the
physical activity of for the academicians working there, the inactive
ratio was at 39 %, the less active level was at 50 %, and the active
level was at 11%; at the same time, while their obesity level was low
at a ratio of 2.8 %, at normal level with a ratio of 44 8 %, at
overweight level with ratio of 41% and at obese level with ratio of
11,4%. Depending on the academicians’ age, academic title and number of
years worked, their time devoted to physical activity are reducing, and
their overweight ratios are increasing. 16