Despite corporate wellness programmes in many IT firms, employee participation remained low.
Hyderabad: A staggering 84 per cent of Indian IT employees suffered from metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD), a condition linked to obesity, metabolic disorders, and an increasingly unhealthy lifestyle, a recent study found.
Experts warned that long working hours, prolonged sitting, shift work, high stress, and poor diet were pushing IT professionals towards serious health risks, including liver disease, diabetes, and cardiovascular problems.
The study revealed that 71 per cent of IT employees surveyed were obese, while 34 per cent had metabolic syndrome — a cluster of conditions that increased the risk of fatty liver, diabetes, and high blood pressure.
The study was conducted by a team from University of Hyderabad, which includes Prof. Kalyankar Mahadev and Prof. C.T. Anitha, and research scholars Bharam Bhargava and Nanditha Pramod, in collaboration with hepatologist Dr P.N. Rao and his team from the Asian Institute of Gastroenterology (AIG) hospital,
“Our findings showed that approximately 84 per cent of IT employees had MAFLD, a condition caused by excessive fat accumulation in the liver due to metabolic and behavioural factors,” the study stated.
The IT sector, employing over 54 lakh people in India, has become a hub for lifestyle-related health issues. The research showed that unhealthy eating habits, lack of physical activity, and chronic stress were driving metabolic disorders. MAFLD, though unrelated to alcohol, was triggered by prolonged sitting, poor sleep, and erratic work schedules. “Irregular sleep patterns associated with shift work contributed to metabolic imbalances, exacerbating fatty liver disease,” the researchers observed.
Despite corporate wellness programmes in many IT firms, employee participation remained low. The study recommended regular health check-ups, screenings, and lifestyle modifications as key preventive measures. “Regular screening for fatty liver and timely intervention through lifestyle changes were crucial to mitigating the risk,” it noted.
