Eating lunch at your desk could double the chances of developing a fatal blood clot, warn experts. Failing to leave your desk to take a lunch break can be unhealthy as after 90 minutes of immobility the flow of blood to the vein behind the knee drops by 50 per cent.
A survey of 1,000 young professionals aged 21 to 30 and video gamers aged 16 to 21 by ComRes found three quarters of the office workers (73 per cent) admitted to taking lunch at their desk. And nine out of ten of the gamers played for longer than 90 minutes without a break.
A separate survey of 400 workers by Dr Richard Beasley, director of the Medical Research Institute of New Zealand, revealed a 2.2-fold increased risk of blood clots among those who usually ate lunch seated at their desk.
He said, “People know that a sedentary lifestyle increases the risk of obesity, diabetes and cardiovascular disease in later life. However, very few are aware of the fact that prolonged immobility in the workplace also is likely to pose an immediate threat. People must be educated regarding the risks associated with sitting down for long periods.”
It is estimated there are over 60,000 cases of potentially fatal blood clots in the UK each year caused by deep vein thrombosis.
Directions: Read passages carefully. Then choose the best answer for question.
The main objective of this passage is to _______.
explain why blood clots are bad to our health
highlight the risk of obesity and cardiovascular disease
compare the eating habits of young office workers and video gamers
inform readers of the risks of prolonged immobility in the workplace