Study identifies health care problem areas

Charles Oliver Three-fourths of blue collar, manufacturing workers in Whitfield and Murray counties are overweight or obese — have more body fat than is considered healthy — according to a new study. And almost 20 percent have been diagnosed with Type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome, which increases the risk of diabetes or heart disease. The study, prepared this summer for the Northwest Georgia Healthcare Partnership, looked at employees at plants of Shaw Industries, Brown Industries and Beaulieu of America. The partnership was formed in 1992 to help improve health care in the greater Dalton area. Dalton State College social work professor Robin Cleeland headed the study. “Almost 50 percent of the employees we surveyed worked more than 40 hours a week in paid jobs,” she said. “Some of that was with those companies, but some... [read full story]