Standing desks are currently being discussed all over the web with detractors and adopters highlighting the pros and cons of working while standing up. They have been proven to be much healthier than sitting on your bum all day in front of your monitor. A 911 center in Oregon has taken the idea to the next level with a souped-up version of the standing desk that allows dispatchers to work while on a treadmill.
As reported on usatoday.com, the dispatchers in the call center are interested in determining if it will help with their health and concentration levels. These types of adoptions by organizations might seem excessive to some, but rising obesity rates around the world are wreaking havoc on the well-being of billions of people.
According to the World Health Organization (WHO), the global obesity rate has more than doubled since 1980. Its statistics show that in 2014 more than 1.9 billion adults over the age of 18 were overweight, and of these over 600 million were obese. The younger population did not fare much better, with 42 million children under the age of five classified as overweight or obese in 2013.
The plan in Oregon was adopted six months ago by volunteer dispatchers. The machines were designed not to exceed speed of two mph, thus preventing any injuries or the possibly having dispatchers with heavy breathing answering emergencies. The article published on usatoday.com states that the Oregon Health & Science University is conducting a study on how the treadmills will affect the reaction, mood and health of emergency call center employees.
Standing desks or treadmills might seem eccentric, but when you consider that a 2011 study found sitting too much could be responsible for as many as 49,000 cases of breast cancer and 43,000 cases of colon cancer annually in the U.S, standing up or strolling two miles per hour doesn’t seem so bad.
Edited by Dominick Sorrentino