What office workers could look like in the next 20 years? Scientists reveal the chilling future of office life |

Are you an office worker? Does the job require you to sit or stare at the computer all day? If your answer is yes, brace yourself, what you are going to learn will leave you petrified. The outside world might think the office workers are one clan of lucky folks. Sitting (or rather ‘relaxing’ in their words) all day, doing their job, and logging out. No exposure to pollution, no need to blame the weather, and hardly any physical effort. Office jobs might look glamorous on the outside, but the insider view is uglier than you imagine. From back pain to dry and strained eyes, weight gain, and stress, it only gets worse. If the outcomes of your job match this, we have some bad news for you. It’s only going to get worse! No, that’s not our verdict, but what scientists think.
Scientists have created a life-size model of how an office worker would look in 20 years, and it will leave you startled. A team of health experts has led by behavioral futurist William Higham, has demonstrated the future of an office worker after 20 years, based on the survey data submitted by more than 3,000 office workers in France, Germany, and the UK. The life-size doll named Emma does not look great, and no, we are not talking about the aesthetics.
Emma has a hump on her back, she is struggling with excess weight, her abdominal fat has risen to dangerous levels, her face is bloated and she has a double chin, her eyes are flat and dead, her legs are swollen and covered in varicose veins.

In the report titled The Work Colleague of the Future, the health experts hint at the alarming health issues office workers would face if changes aren’t made to the workplace environment.
“The most common health problems in the office today are physical inactivity and asymmetric physical strain, especially around phone calling or typing. These can all lead to degenerative processes impacting muscles, joints, discs, nerves, and tendons, and may cause pain and tissue damage. Lack of motion can lead to muscle degeneration. Overdoing motions, such as mouse-clicking, can cause inflammation and nerve compression.” German occupational and public health expert Dr Frank Emrich said in a statement.
“Modern technology has robbed us of traditional movements like standing up. We don’t even need to get up to answer the phone now. When was the last time you got up to answer the phone?” Ergonomics expert Stephen Bowden, of the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors, asks.

The study says that just sitting at a desk can have a huge impact on an individual’s health. Though the sedentary lifestyle may look physically easy, it can have devastating long-term effects.
The report points out that over three million people die due to physical inactivity each year. Sedentary lifestyle was the fourth highest cause of mortality in the world in 2019. Twice as many people die from inactivity as from obesity.
“Sedentariness will have the greatest negative impact on the body and mind of the worker of the future. The risks of a sedentary lifestyle are now very well known, and include obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease,” Fabienne Broucaret, wellness expert, notes.

A study by the researchers at Liverpool John Moores University in the UK found that sitting for prolonged periods can reduce blood flow to the brain, which can slow brain functionality and increase the likelihood of developing neurological disorders like dementia. A sedentary lifestyle not only kills your physical health but also has an impact on your mental wellness. The report also notes down some of the occupational hazards of office workers, such as poor air quality, artificial lighting, germ-filled surfaces, close proximity, stress related to targets, among others.
“The body requires low intensity, high frequency movements throughout the entire day,” Bowden adds.