Based on statistics data, the number of working population in the first quarter of 2018 was 127.07 million. Average time spent at work was around 8 hours per day by workers working 5 days a week. In some offices, working hours, break, and overtime are stated in a work agreement.
“Workers have the risk of having anemia due to the lack of attention to the meals they consume,” said occupational nutritionist, Yayuk Hartrianti, SKM., M.Kes., in a talkshow Occupational Nutrition for the Health of Staff on Friday(12/10) in Auditorium of Graduate programme of Faculty of Medicine, Public Health, and Nursing UGM.
She revealed that the need of calories of each worker was different. Essentially, nutrition has to be obtained each day depending on the condition of the workplace. She warned against possibilities that the meal they consume can later cause degenerative problems.
“Physical activity at the workplace has to be done for balance. And fruit is the best source of vitamins,” she said.
Meanwhile, dr. Agus Surono, Sp.THT.KL., said other problems affecting workers were laryngitis and dehydration due to lack of attention to daily hydration. Agus said malnutrition would reduce stamina, easily getting sick that reduces physical performance. “The impact is the reduced performance, absence of work, thus making the worker experiencing productivity slowdown,” he said.
The Otolaryngology expert added to meet nutrition requirement at work, food intake needs to contain all nutritions according to the need, quality and quantity of food and diet. He reminded people about the importance of food requirement at work as well as provision of canteen and dining venue, nutrition supplies and counselling, and food provision at work.
There are actually rules in place for workers at work, namely Law No.13 Year 2003 Article 86. According to Suharyanto, SKM., M.Kes., monitoring staff in Manpower and Transmigration Agency Yogyakarta, such protection is deservable by workers. “They are valuable assets because they are part of the process of production and they are always facing danger potential,” he said.
Improvement of nutrition is important to prevent morbidity, improve productivity and reduce health problems, which are caused by change of lifestyle or diet.