WOMEN IN TRUCKING Ellen Voie
Solving a Driver Shortage, One Calorie at a Time Well, the Christmas holiday season is over, and those pies, candies, and cookies that many of us ate to celebrate the season have not helped our waistline! One study found that the average person gains eight pounds over the holiday season. We tend to disregard calories during the holidays, as ninety percent of us said we aren’t going to worry about our weight right now, and 60 percent said we deserve to indulge in treats. It’s been a hard year (or two), and we often turn to food to reward ourselves for dealing with these challenges. Well, now it is January when nearly forty percent of people make a New Year’s resolution to eat better, exercise more, or just be healthier. For professional drivers, the quest to eat better is even more difficult because of the limited food choices and the challenges of eating in a truck. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), seven in ten long-haul truck drivers are obese. Obesity is defined as 12 • OVER THE ROAD
excessive fat accumulation that presents a risk to health. A body mass index over 25 means you are overweight and if it’s over thirty, you are considered obese. We all know that obesity affects us in more ways than our pants size. Heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and sleep apnea are all related to our weight. Weight loss of just five to fifteen percent can dramatically improve our health. Why is it so hard to shed those excess pounds? There are so many reasons, but for drivers, here are some responses to a Facebook question recently posted. Nutritious food isn’t always available, and the variety isn’t great. In addition to these challenges, the costs are always higher for healthier food options. Some drivers don’t like cooking in their trucks as meal preparation and clean up are a challenge. (Have you tried to clean a crock pot in a truck stop restroom?) A study called “Barriers to Truck Drivers’ Health: Eating, Environmental Influences JANUARY 2024
