Photo by Anna Pelzer
In May 2013
Sean Murphy watched Forks over Knives
and made a decision. He would no longer eat meat, fish, poultry or any other
animal products. In short, he would become vegan. Many people go from eating
meat and fish to becoming vegetarian, but Sean decided to go all the way in one
swift step. It is something he has stuck with to this day, so much so his
handle is now “Tofu.” (Tofu is a plant-based food made from soy beans; it is often
substituted for meat in a vegan diet.)
Becoming
vegan is understandably challenging for the average person, but for Sean it proved
even more difficult because he works as an over-the-road driver. Sean earned
his CDL in 2010 and worked in the transportation industry for a few years
before he joined Steelman Transportation, a flatbed transportation company, in
August 2016. He lives in upstate New
York and typically drives the “Steelman triangle” from Boston to Chicago to
Texas and back.
Given his
occupation, Sean is wise to think about his health. According to research about
the health of long-haul trucker drivers published in the American Journal of Industrial Medicine, maintaining a healthy
lifestyle as a over-the-road driver can be particularly challenging. The study revealed
that over two-thirds of respondents were obese (69%) and 17% were morbidly
obese. In contrast, only one-third of U.S. working adults were reported to be
obese and 7% morbidly obese. Obesity is a concern because it increases the
chance for type 2 diabetes, sleep apnea, heart disease, cancer, joint and back
pain, and stroke.
The
survey also revealed that more than half of long-haul truck drivers were
current cigarette smokers —over twice the general working population (51% vs.
19%). Smoking increases the chance for heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke,
and cancer. Although most drivers averaged over 6 hours of sleep per 24-hr
period, 27% of drivers averaged 6 hours or less of sleep compared to 30% of
working adults. . . .
More than half of long-haul truck drivers
reported having two or more of these health conditions or unhealthy behaviors:
high blood pressure, obesity, smoking, limited physical activity, high
cholesterol, or fewer than 6 hours of sleep. These factors increase the chance
of developing preventable, long-lasting diseases.
Good Dads believes being a “good dad” includes caring for one’s self in order to set
a good example for other family members and live long enough to enjoy children
and grandchildren. Sean
stuck with the dietary changes he began in 2013 and started to notice the
difference. He developed “increased energy and great blood work.” Propelled by
his success, he joined a gym in 2018 and started working out. More recently he
also gave up smoking when his 15-year-old daughter, Kyra, agreed to become
vegan if he would quit.
Sean’s family,
which includes his wife, Frederica, a daughter, Kyra (15) and a son, Devin (4),
are very important to him. For this reason, he does his best to take care of
himself and spend every other weekend at home.
He encourages drivers to use the best time management skills possible to
help them stay connected with their loved ones. He also credits dispatcher at
Steelman for caring about him and his family. Driving for a company that cares
about your family, using every technological advantage you can and managing
your time—all these help Sean “Tofu” Murphy be the best dad and driver he can
be.
Sean can be reached for question or comment at thevegantrucker@gmail.com
Kyra going Vegan FTW!!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, it's awesome that you've quit smoking!!