Terminally desk-bound struggle to strike a healthy balance

High profile campaigns by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall and Jamie Oliver could be encouraging many of us to buy free range chickens and eat organic fruit and veg at home. But once the time pressures of a working week kick in, 23.5 million of the nation’s workforce continues to regularly snack on quick-fix, unhealthy foods at work. New research by PruHealth, the innovative private health insurance provider, reveals we’re a nation of part-timers when it comes to healthy living, with four in five employees regularly eating unhealthy snacks, such as chocolate, pastries and crisps, while at work or during the commute.

The Working Well

Contrary to popular myths about builders’ ‘pub grub’ diets, tradesmen are more likely than any other profession to shun an unhealthy lunch in favour of a salad. One in eight (12 per cent) tradesman would opt for a salad or sushi as a working lunch, while 53 per cent take the time to make their own sandwiches.

With the UK’s growing childhood obesity problems in mind, it’s encouraging to see 60 per cent of teachers leading by example and bringing their own lunchbox with homemade sandwiches, soup or salad to school. Indeed, teachers appear to have most taken their childhood home economics lessons to heart, as a third of them avoid unhealthy snacks altogether (33 per cent).

Unhealthy Snack Attack

Desk-bound bankers and accountants are among the unhealthiest eaters, more than half (52 per cent) regularly snack on chocolate throughout the working day. Meanwhile, shopkeepers and retail assistants are most partial to snacking on sweets for a regular sugar-fix at work (32 per cent). And almost half (45 per cent) of all admin staff admit their favourite naughty nibble is a biscuit with their afternoon brew.

Truckers and transport workers are the nation’s unhealthiest snackers as life on the road takes its toll on their daily diets. Over four in ten frequently opt for fizzy drinks (43 per cent) and a quarter regularly tuck into fried fast food.

A Matter of Convenience

Over half of time-pressed Brits would rather buy their lunch than take the time to make it themselves. More than one in five of us go for the easy option of buying lunch from the local sandwich shop (22 per cent), while the traditional pub lunch seems to be in decline as people’s finances become more stretched, with just two per cent of Brits regularly going to the boozer for lunch.

Unsurprisingly, catering staff are most likely to eat in their staff canteen (37 per cent), but this has its downsides as a third of caterers can’t resist the fruits of their own labour and regularly indulge in a piece of cake (32 per cent).

Katie Roswell, Marketing Director, PruHealth, said: “It can be difficult to eat a balanced diet while at work, particularly if working hours are unpredictable or if you’re pressed for time. Grabbing a sandwich from a shop might seem like a healthy, quick-fix option, but it can sometimes be difficult to judge how nutritious the contents actually are.

“Encouraging staff to take a balanced approach to healthy eating can have a positive impact on employees’ stress levels as well as their overall wellbeing. PruHealth’s Vitality reward system enables members to earn points for looking after their health, for example by going to the gym, eating healthily or having a fitness assessment, to make it easier for policyholders to take control of their own health and wellbeing, and over time this could help them lower their PMI premiums.”

The Snack Divide

Londoners prove the worst at bringing in lunches prepared at home, 35 per cent confessed to typically eating shop-bought lunches. On the other hand, just 16 per cent of inhabitants in Wales and the South West buy lunch from the shops. Employees in the Midlands proved best at bringing in their own homemade sandwiches, almost half (44 per cent) do so.

A Snack for all Ages

Unfortunately, it’s not just at work that we’re susceptible to indulging in unhealthy snacks – the daily commute to and from work also provides the opportunity to do so. 18-34 year olds are most likely to eat chocolate during their commute, 35-54 year olds are most likely to eat crisps and 55s and over are most likely to eat biscuits. However, perhaps the latter can be forgiven as the 55 and over age group are the best at making their own lunches to eat at work: 44 per cent said that’s what they typically do.