An alarming trend is on the rise for our beloved Aussie tradies that could be damaging their health.<\/p>\n
New data reveals that a whopping 1.9 million tradesmen and women across the country are skipping lunch while on the job, with a third skipping most days. <\/p>\n
The main reason is a sheer lack of time amid the constant grind of their day-to-day hustle. <\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Builder, Martin Nguyen, says that his focus is on deadlines. Not his dietary needs. <\/p>\n
\u201cLunchtime\u2019s probably a bit of a pastime,\u201d Mr Nguyen told news.com.au. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou try to skip it just because of how inconvenient it can be, and obviously, when you\u2019re trying to meet timelines. It\u2019s very hard to leave site and go to buy food. When you do it\u2019s often super unhealthy.\u201d <\/p>\n
The 29-year-old from Victoria\u2019s Mornington Peninsula is constantly on the go. <\/p>\n
As Director of Kubra Building Services, he is constantly running between job sites, often hitting two or three locations in a single day to manage his team and subcontractors.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou know, generally lunch would just be pies or takeaway. We send one of the apprentices down to go get fast food for everyone,\u201d he explained. <\/p>\n
Mr Nguyen describes a typical day starting with a \u201cbig breakfast pie in the servo,\u201d followed by \u201cDare Iced Coffees\u201d and energy drinks to keep the momentum going. By the time he clocked off around 3:30pm, the hunger would hit hard. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s generally Maccas’ or KFC drive-through,\u201d he revealed as his drive home feed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy wife would come in my car on the weekend, and the passenger seat would just be full of McDonald\u2019s and KFC wrappers. I didn\u2019t think I had a problem. I thought I was just being efficient.\u201d <\/p>\n
He\u2019s not the only tradie with a car like this. He calculates that from the tradies he encounters, over 70 per cent of those he meets mirror his eating habits. <\/p>\n
It\u2019s a lifestyle that has already led to health impacts. <\/p>\n
Mr Nguyen admits that since getting \u201con the tools\u201d as an 18-year-old apprentice, he has gained between 25 and 30 kilograms. <\/p>\n
\u201cI loved fitness and I loved, you know, just being really healthy when I first started,\u201d Mr Nguyen explained. <\/p>\n
\u201cWhen I just started, I had a six-pack, and now I\u2019ve got the full typical dad bod.\u201d<\/p>\n
It\u2019s hit his self-image when it comes to his body, which may come as a shock to those who view tradies as rugged, confident, and unbothered by vanity.<\/p>\n
\u201cEven just someone that\u2019s very, you know, confident… going to the public pools or the beach and that, you\u2019re always second-guessing,\u201d he admitted. <\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s a bit of a surprise both mentally and physically.\u201d <\/p>\n
The heavy diet and lack of proper fuel left him feeling \u201csluggish\u201d and tired, impacting his energy for his three children under the age of three.<\/p>\n
His youngsters have inspired him to change. <\/p>\n
\u201cYou think you\u2019re just going to be young forever. It\u2019s easy to lose weight, but it\u2019s only recently that I\u2019ve actually started to try to seriously do something about that,\u201d Mr Nguyen said. <\/p>\n
According to new research conducted by Youfoodz, the numbers are shocking.<\/p>\n
The data reveals an industry-wide \u201cskip to slog\u201d phenomenon, where missing a meal is a daily occurrence for many, and when they do eat, the \u201ctradie diet\u201d stereotypes ring true.<\/p>\n
If the average tradie eats just three meat pies a week, the industry is consuming a staggering 283 million pies a year. <\/p>\n
And time isn\u2019t the only contributing factor. It\u2019s also a deep-seated exhaustion known as \u201ctoolbelt tiredness.\u201d <\/p>\n
The aversion to cooking after a long shift is so intense that 36% of tradies say they would rather sit through the worst first date of their life than meal prep for the rest of it.<\/p>\n
Nutritionist, Kiara Hardy, says there are many concerns when it comes to skipping lunch.<\/p>\n
\u201cTaking a proper lunch break supports better focus, productivity and overall performance. Skipping meals can cause blood sugar levels to drop, which may lead to fatigue and reduced alertness. For tradies working in high risk environments this is something to be cautious of,\u201d Hardy told news.com.au. <\/p>\n
She says people in physically demanding jobs, such as Mr Nguyen \u2019s, are more likely to skip their midday meal. <\/p>\n
\u201cPeople working in trades or other physical demanding industries need to be more intentional about their nutrition because of long work hours, limited access to food outlets and higher energy levels,\u201d she said. <\/p>\n
\u201cPreparation becomes essential. Planning meals removes the guesswork of deciding on what and where to eat\u2026 remember hydration is key too.\u201d <\/p>\n
Mr Nguyen has recently found a solution that doesn\u2019t require hours in the kitchen or rely on a microwave. <\/p>\n
He has switched to high-protein, pre-made salads. <\/p>\n
\u201cI was a bit hesitant at the start, but it\u2019s actually got heaps of meat, and you feel like you\u2019re having a proper meal that\u2019s not frozen,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s been the only thing for me as a tradie that I\u2019ve actually been able to consistently do.\u201d<\/p>\n
He urges other tradies stuck in the fast-food cycle to give the healthier alternatives a go.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust try it once. That\u2019s all I\u2019m gonna say. Try it once, and you\u2019ll be a changed person.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"An alarming trend is on the rise for our beloved Aussie tradies that could be damaging their health.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":401252,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36],"tags":[64,63,689,213380,5002,213379,213377,213387,213385,89134,97655,213389,137,97641,177389,213375,147268,213378,213366,213383,213384,213373,532,677,213364,213376,213372,213374,213381,213367,213371,213388,213370,213365,213368,213369,213386,213382,660],"class_list":["post-401251","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nutrition","tag-au","tag-australia","tag-australia-and-new-zealand","tag-average-tradie-eats","tag-blood-sugar","tag-chip-packets","tag-dietary-needs","tag-disgusting-trolls-target","tag-drive-home-feed","tag-eating-habits","tag-energy-levels","tag-food-outlets","tag-health","tag-health-impacts","tag-health-study","tag-job-sites","tag-kitchen-sink","tag-kurra-building-services","tag-lauren-robinson","tag-lunch-break-supports","tag-martin-newman","tag-midday-meal","tag-nutrition","tag-oceania","tag-passenger-seat","tag-planning-meals","tag-pre-made-salads","tag-risk-environments","tag-sad-truth","tag-shocking-tradie-eating","tag-skipping-lunch","tag-skipping-meals","tag-toolbelt-tiredness","tag-tradie-diet","tag-tradie-eating-habits","tag-tradies-skipping-lunch","tag-typical-dad-bod","tag-typical-tradie-ute","tag-victoria"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401251","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=401251"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/401251\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/401252"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=401251"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=401251"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=401251"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}