When Steve Jones started driving trucks nearly two decades ago, he fell into a pattern. To help stay awake on the road, he’d drink a 2-liter bottle of Mountain Dew in a day, and keep a loaf of bread in the passenger seat for energy. At truck stops, he’d grab whatever was quick, often a couple of hot dogs. Before long, he had gained 70 pounds.
It’s a common story among the 3.5 million truck drivers that work in the United States, more than two-thirds of whom are obese.
“No one ever talked to you when you’re joining the industry about this,” said Jones. “Because all they care about is getting the freight from point A to point B.”
With limited food options, poor sleep, and pay-per-mile scales that incentivize sitting for long stretches, truckers are twice as likely to have type 2 diabetes compared to the general population. On average, they die when they’re just 61.
Things started turning around for Jones when he met his wife, Gina, and she took to the road with him nearly 14 years ago. More recently, they’ve doubled down by working with a health coach through Offshift, a digital health app and coaching program tailored to truckers.
Together, the couple started paying more attention to what they ate and how they moved. Gina would make turkey meatloaf, chicken breast, broccoli, and green beans at home to take on the 3,000-mile round trip from Phoenix to Memphis, Tenn. Between the two of them, they’ve lost more than 50 pounds since March 2024.
Offshift is one of a broad group of programs that help users build a healthy lifestyle to prevent or manage chronic disease. But many of them, including those nationally certified for diabetes prevention, have struggled with low adoption for years as the United States continues to confront soaring rates of obesity and cardiometabolic disease.
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