Body composition in an employee health improvement program

We checked the change in health status of employees of an Austrian company over a period of one year. In June 1995 medical and anthropometric tests were carried out. From the results of the tests, we made individual recommendations for training and nutrition. Lectures, demonstration sessions and regular sessions in gymnastics were held during the year. In June 1996 a re-test was carried out. In 1995, 95 men and 27 women, in 1996, 62 men and 27 women participated in the investigation. A comparative statistical analysis was carried out for the group of men. Body fat tissue decreased and fat free mass increased highly significantly (p = 0.000), systolic blood pressure decreased about 10 mmHg on average (p = 0.000), exhalation volume as well as the relative physical work capacity increased very high significantly (p = 0.000 for both parameters). There were no significant changes of diastolic blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride levels.