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