A study conducted by Herbalife reveals that 81% of Malaysians spend an average of 6-12 hours a day behind their desks, with 50% of them eating lunch at their work desk two to five times per week.

In February, Health Minister Dr S Subramaniam revealed that obese Malaysians made up 17.7% of the population and 30% fell in the overweight category.

A 2014 study published by the medical journal The Lancet showed that Malaysia was first in Asia for obesity.

The Herbalife survey also found that 86% of Malaysia’s workforce exercised less than three times per week, with 70% getting less than 30 minutes of physical activity a day at their workplace.

If it is any comfort, the survey also shows that other countries are not faring too well either.

Indonesia, the survey found, had the highest number of workers eating at their desks, with 71% eating lunch at their desk two to five times per week.

Herbalife, a global nutrition company, polled 5,500 full-time workers across 11 countries, including 500 from Malaysia, for its “Nutrition at Work” survey.

It was designed to understand the lifestyle habits and attitudes of Asia Pacific’s modern workforce, according to a report in The Edge.

The Edge quoted Sridhar Rajagopalan, sub-regional general manager of Herbalife Malaysia and Singapore, as saying the problem was most likely a lifestyle and culture issue.

The survey found that females were more likely to spend more time at their desk than their male counterparts, with 67% saying they spend between 6-9 hours behind the desk daily compared with the latter’s response of 64%.

Millennials were found to be more sedentary than non-millennials, with 70% being likely to spend between six to nine hours at their desks daily as opposed to 64% of non-millennials.

The Edge reported that 66% of millennials said they would be more encouraged to stay active if it was embedded in their company culture.