Emma is supposed to shock – and she does, with the many varicose veins on her legs, the very red and swollen eyes, the eczema on her skin, the big hump on the neck and the long nose hair. Apparently Emma's body suffered a lot. Your order: The horror doll Emma is supposed to show how sick 20 years can make us at the desk.
Emma was constructed by British researchers who spoke to 3000 office workers from France, Germany and England for the study "Work Colleague often the Future". In the interviews, the employees talked about their physical complaints from the office work. Emma is the result of these stories.
Her eyes are red and swollen from staring at monitors for years. The varicose veins and water retention in her legs show the lack of movement. The long nose hair comes from the bad air in the office.
Emma shows the worst that can happen if you do everything bad
explains behavioral scientist William Higham, who participated in the study. "If people say to themselves, 'That could be me', I think they can identify better with the problem".
Back pain, neck pain, headache
Behind the campaign is advertising by the company "Fellowes Brands" for ergonomically fitting chairs and tables. But the problem is real: Sitting for a long time can actually make us sick.
A study by Dynamic Markets and Fellowes in 2013 already made the problems clear: "According to this, 26 percent of employees suffer daily from complaints that they attribute directly to their work on a computer. Germany is at the top of the list of diseases Back pain (50 percent) and Neck pain (40 percent). a headache such as tense and aching shoulders follow together in third place with 36 percent ".
Private life also suffers
The complaints put considerable restrictions on workers: "Over half of those affected say that the complaints affect their private lives, for example their relationships. 57 percent are prescribed medication to relieve pain, 41 percent rely on self-medication, and 41 percent do nothing about it. Just 38 percent inform their boss about the problems, 59 percent suffer silently ".
William Higham has already drawn consequences for himself, he tells the "Huffington Post":
I take more breaks than before. I get up more. I stand up once an hour. I make sure that I am not in the same position for a long time. I pause when I stare at the screen.
For a change, the experts from the "Barmer" health insurance company also recommend sitting temporarily on an exercise ball and taking a walk in the fresh air during your lunch break. In addition, more exercise outside the office is important: getting to work by bike is helpful, for example. In addition, adapted office furniture is also important.
Sources used: huffpost.com, fellowes.com
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