This story is from May 4, 2006

Odd-hour woes: BPOs offer diet chart

Somdatta Basu / TNN / May 4, 2006, 23:35 IST

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Increasing health hazards among employees has forced BPOs to prepare diet guidelines for new recruits.

KOLKATA: Sobhna Roy is a new recruit at a call centre. In an industry that hires young employees, she was just another one to join the bandwagon.
After taking a health check, she was declared fit and was assured a job. But, with the appointment letter, she was surprised to receive a diet chart for her by life-style counsellor.
Increasing health hazards among employees has forced BPOs to prepare diet guidelines for new recruits."In a call centre, employees need to stay awake till the wee hours. These people have a complete change in their habits.
Eating pattern goes haywire for an employee working on a shift. To minimise ailments, diet charts are offered," said Rina Chowdhury, lifestyle counsellor at Apollo Gleneagles and consultant of call centres.

In the chart, suggestions are given on nutrition, sleep hygiene and health diet. Even caution is given to minimise the habit of caffeine addiction as many tend to avoid sleep by consuming excessive amounts of caffeine.
A suitable timeframe for the intake of food is offered with a proper time gap between each meal.
"Diets are based after extensive knowledge of life style. Even yoga and exercises are suggested to keep them fit. While giving out diets, problem areas of each employee are taken into account," added Chowdhury.

At HSBC Electronic Data Processing India, executives are required to perform ten minute stretching exercises between long shifts.
"It helps them relax after sitting in same position for hours. Some problems being faced by employees are obesity, nerve problems and sleeping disorders. A diet chart helps put a check on such lifestyle diseases," says an official.
At IBM Daksh, a soft copy of a calorie sheet is preserved on each PC which allows employees to keep a note of calorie intake. "The diet chart suggest consumption of more anti-oxidants for night shift employees," says Hena Nafis, nutritionist at Wipro.

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