New statistics from Dr. Martin Moore-Ede, a Toronto researcher, reveal that the life expectancy for male truck drivers is 15 years less than for the rest of the male population of the United States.
So while bellying up to a dinner table laden with chicken fried steak smothered in gravy with a side of fries may be gratifying after a hard day on the road, it is also part of a lifestyle that is killing truck drivers, according to Moore-Ede, the founder and chief executive officer of Circadian Technologies, a consulting firm that specializes in health issues surrounding the physiological rhythms associated with the 24-hour, seven-day cycles of human behavior.
For truckers tooling down the road who look down and realize there is more belly showing than seat, there are better food choices at truck stop restaurants than they think, said registered dietician Connie Diekman, spokesperson for the American Dietetic Association.
Because 18-wheelers are not welcome, unless making deliveries, at local shopping centers that have grocery stores where they can graze at the salad bar, truckers are relegated to spending their eating time and dollars at either fuel stops or truck stop restaurants.
But even with these limitations, Diekman said drivers can control their weight and maintain good nutritional balance. First and foremost, she emphasized, it takes constant vigilance, watching everything that passes through their lips.
For the full story, see the Jan. 8 print edition of Transport Topics. Subscribe today.
