Results of a Teagasc study have revealed that 62 per cent of Irish male farmers questioned were overweight or obese and a third were trying to slim down.
Just over half of participants considered themselves ‘about the right weight’, but based on BMI calculations were overweight or obese.
However, the majority (93%) reported being moderately / highly physically active.
Another major finding of the study included one in four farmers reporting not having consumed any fruit or vegetable the previous day.
It also revealed that a high proportion of male farmers’ dietary habits consisted of a high intake of meat, fried foods, salt, and sugary and salty snacks.
Farmers under the age of 45 years of age, were significantly more likely to report consumption of processed meats on most days of the week.
One in five farmers reported smoking and drinking alcohol one or more times weekly.
Meanwhile, the study called for more awareness and educational programmes to assist farmers with health gain, including diet.
Farmers were surveyed about their diets and weight management after a national study showed that farmers experience five times higher cardiovascular, three times higher cancer and seven times higher farm injury mortality in than ‘white collar’ workers.
LSL News.