Reports: Truckers more concerned with health

NEW YORK — A growing number of truckers are paying closer attention to their health, according to published reports.



USA Today reported that some trucking companies are adopting wellness program for drivers, while some truck stops are offering healthy food items and exercise rooms. Meanwhile, some truckers take bicycles with them or make their own food and take it along.



According to one study cited in the article, a 2009 study published in the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, 85% of 2,950 surveyed truckers are overweight, and 55% are obese, while a Gallup-Healthways Well-Being Index found 37.8% of transportation workers were obese, the highest rate of any industry in the country. High blood pressure and smoking are also present at higher rates than among the general public, according to the story.