New Delhi, April 6 (IANS) More than half of corporate India’s workforce suffers from various chronic and lifestyle diseases, with those in the information technology (IT) and IT-enabled services (ITES), media, knowledge process outsourcing (KPO) and financial services topping the list, says an industry group report.
A study by the Associated Chambers of commerce and Industry of India (Assocham), said 54 percent of the workforce in the IT and ITES sectors were afflicted with depression, severe headaches, obesity, chronic backache, spondylosis, diabetes and hypertension.

It said of them, 23 percent suffered from spondylosis, 20 percent from sleeping disorder and 18 percent from obesity. Other ailments were depression (16 percent), fatigue (13 percent) and high blood pressure (9 percent).

“Corporate employees have to survive the stiff global competitive environment to save their jobs, which affects their health,” said Assocham secretary general D.S. Rawat.

In the media sector, 51 percent of respondents suffered from similar ailments, with about 36 percent suffering from high blood pressure, 29 percent from depression and 15 percent afflicted with diabetes.

Of the near 50 percent of KPO employees who reported ailments, 24 percent suffered from sleeping disorder, 17 percent reported regular headaches and fatigue, 12 percent suffered from depression and 9 percent with diabetes and obesity.

Financial Services emerged as the fourth hardest-hit sector, with 47 percent of its workforce reporting various ailments. Of them, 24 percent suffered from a high level of fatigue, 18 percent from diabetes, 14 percent had cardiovascular disorders and 12 percent sleeping disorder.

As per the National Sleep Foundation - a US-based non-profit organisation, sleeping disorder increases chances of diabetes by 81 percent, hypertension by 79 percent, heart diseases by 78 percent and depression by 83 percent.

The Assocham survey covered companies from 18 broad sectors.