Food-steps Lifestyle interventions at the workplace: the effects of modifications of the worksite building and canteen on physical activity and dietary habits.

Overweight is an increasingly important health problem and is associated with a number of diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, hypercholesterolemia, cardiovascular diseases, and some types of cancer. Overweight is a relevant problem in occupational medicine as well; the population attributable risk for work disability due to overweight or obesity is 25% for women and 15% for men. Maintaining the balance between energy-intake (dietary intake) on one side and energy-expenditure (physical activity) on the other side plays an important role in the prevention of overweight. Many workers are sitting still or are standing still for almost all day at work. Also, workers often have unhealthy dietary habits at work. Workers' physical activity and dietary behaviour is determined not only by reasoned, conscious choices but also by unreasoned, unconscious choices and habits. Besides knowledge on the health effects of a certain behavioural choice, based on which the conscious choices can be made, it appears to be important to give environmental stimuli in order to encourage healthy unconscious choices and habits. Stair climbing is an example of behaviour that can easily be influenced by environmental stimuli.The aim of this study is to evaluate in a controlled, prospective intervention study the effects of modifications of the worksite building and canteen on BMI, physical activity, diet, blood pressure and blood cholesterol.