The nationwide epidemic of obesity in the US has finally crossed the ocean, and affected the thousands of seamen engage in maritime commerce. Obesity could dramatically impact the manner in which a seaman is able to discharge his duties on the vessel.
Those concerns were raised in a press release issued by the International Maritime Medical Association. According to the press release, the number of obese seamen on international vessels has increased substantially in recent years. Work at sea is extremely physical and strenuous work. It’s work that was designed for physically fit men, and there is even a phrase –“able-bodied seaman”- that defines how healthy a maritime worker is expected to be. Unfortunately, increasingly high caloric food and unhealthy eating habits have contributed to more cases of obesity among maritime workers.
The International Maritime Medical Association stresses that obesity is a major concern when you’re talking about a seafarer, and as maritime attorneys, we agree. Consider for instance, that all workers on board a vessel will be expected to take part in life-saving procedures during a sudden emergency on board. In such cases, seamen who are overweight and unhealthy may not be able to discharge their duties properly. They may be at a high risk of death or injury, and could increase the risk of injury of other workers on the vessel too.
Shipping companies must make worker health a bigger part of their priorities. Good health does not merely mean three meals a day. It’s high time that vessel owners and operators look into hiring nutritionists and dietitians to plan daily diets for seamen. The diet must take into consideration that these men perform extremely physical and demanding work, and must also be tailored to avoid obesity-related health issues.
The maritime lawyers at Schechter, Shaffer & Harris, L.L.P. represent injured maritime workers, including anchormen, oil rig and offshore workers, cruise ship crews, fishing vessel crews, barge and tugboat operators, and other maritime workers injured in maritime accidents in the state of Texas, and nationwide
