Even if you're not overweight, your work area could be reducing your productivity through poor setup. If the chair is too small (or too large!), if the area is cramped, if the monitor is too close - the list is long. Occupational Overuse Syndrome (also known as RSI) can result from poor work area setup. On a less drastic note, you could be losing productivity simply because you are constantly adjusting things as your work area is poorly organised.

While some things about the work area can't be changed, other things can. Chairs, keyboards, monitor stands, headsets, footrests, back supports, even the arrangement of the working area of your desk - they can all make a difference. And it is important to remember that what suits one worker may not suit another  -the seven foot tall guy that sits next to you might prefer his chair to be raised higher so his knees aren't under his chin - but you at 5 foot three, might prefer to have your feet on the floor. (the moral of that story being - don't steal his chair!)

But all the flexibility and super ergonomics products in the world can't help you if you don't know how to use it. In a US report "Effecting Change - Getting Workers to Adopt the Right Behavior," University of Michigan researcher Dr. Els Nieuwenhuijsen expressed surprise when he discovered how little people knew about their work equipment. "I talked to office workers who didn’t know their chair could move up and down," he explained. "They didn’t know where the button was."

So while we wait for the "obesity epidemic" to slow down, ergonomics appears to be the most promising way for employers to achieve the long-term savings of a healthy and productive workforce. Work with what you have!

The new Healthworks booklet "Your Body at Work" outlines how an ergonomic setup should look, and provides information about correct ergonomic use of work areas and examples of exercises and stretches that will reduce the risk of OOS and musculoskeletal disorders (and reduce loss of productivity!). Healthworks can also provide ergonomic assessments and inhouse seated massage.

Coeliac disease causes damage to the bowel, leading to reduced nutrient absorption. Gluten, a protein found in wheat, rye, barley and oats, is the culprit. So even if you have a healthy diet, you might still not be getting enough essential nutrients to remain healthy - and this can lead to a range of health issues including chronic poor health and depression - which of course can affect your ability to work (and play).

Symptoms of Coeliac disease can include (but are not limited to):

• Fatigue and/or weakness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Flatulence and abdominal distension
• Diarrhoea and/or constipation
• Cramping and bloating
• Anaemia
• Weight loss (or sometimes weight gain)

But sometimes people experience none of these symptoms. Or because these could be symptoms of a number of conditions, some experience them and ascribe them to something else, even stress or "getting older".

So how do you know if you have it? The Coeliac Society of Australia provides guidelines for diagnosis, starting with to *keep eating gluten* (to avoid a possible false-negative result in the following blood test), followed by a blood test and a bowel biopsy. Your GP would suggest which steps to take should they suspect coeliac disease. So regular medical checkups are the key!

If you have had the tests and do not have coeliac disease, you might be gluten intolerant. While this is a much better diagnosis than coeliac disease, it still impacts on your life. Having to take the day off from work because you've eaten the wrong thing can really disrupt your plans.

While it is not curable, coeliac disease and gluten intolerance are certainly manageable - with the correct diet. So at your next office function, don't be afraid to ask for the gluten-free option (or to provide it)!

For more information, you can visit the Coeliac Society of Australia at coeliac.org.au