If people are on vacation, then taking a plane to another part of the world may be exciting. However, if the mission of the trip is to visit a client, close a business deal or do an interview, then people might just feel nervous. Being able to visit multiple countries in a few days may be a lifelong dream for many people, but traveling on business is not so wonderful and may even bring about some health problems. Changes in daily habits and sleep cycles, as well as a lack of healthy exercise, can cause physical and mental health problems. According to the Spanish newspaper El País, when planning a business trip, many companies’ health plans include vaccinations, information on avoiding dietary diseases, and alerts on social and political unrest. But some of the more common threats to physical and mental health are often overlooked, such as stress, sleep disorders, unhealthy diets and lack of exercise. They are all common side effects of business travel. In the long run, these problems can increase the risk of chronic diseases of travelers. According to the report, these are the conclusions of a study conducted by Andrew Rendell, associate professor of epidemiology at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health, on the relationship between business travel and mental health. His primary research interests are sedentary lifestyle and the risks and consequences of obesity, but his own experience made him want to focus on the health effects of business travel as well. The research team compared people who stayed away for up to six nights a month with those who stayed away for 14 nights or more. The latter had higher body mass index scores and were more likely to have problems such as anxiety, depression and alcohol dependence. In addition, they were less physically active and had more difficulty falling asleep. Those who stayed away for 21 nights or more per month for business travel were 92 percent more likely to develop obesity and high blood pressure than others. There are other studies that support these results, the report said. A study of insurance claims for World Bank employees showed that frequent travelers had a higher chance of claiming for minor illnesses and chronic conditions such as asthma and back problems. But the more common claims filed were related to symptoms caused by stress. In fact, another World Bank study found that nearly 75 percent of employees reported high or extremely high pressure psychological conditions associated with business travel. As a result, companies should be proactive in improving this situation. Experts recommend that companies set more flexible travel dates and develop more specific health plans for employees so that those who travel are aware of the risks involved in being in another city, hotel accommodations, eating too fast and not getting enough sleep. Companies also need to consider flight times and not ignore jet lag. In addition, resting on the plane rather than working is more beneficial to employee health. Maintaining healthy eating habits can be the most complicated task for people who travel for business, according to the report. Several studies have shown that food in restaurants contains more calories and fat and less fiber than home-cooked food. In addition, stress can also affect and hinder business travelers from making healthy food choices, as stress often makes them want to eat foods with more calories.