A new survey has found 82% of British office workers are putting their health and productivity at risk because they don't eat enough fruit during the working day.
Britains spend around 60% of their lives working, so in order to eat the recommended five pieces of fruit and veg a day we should try to eat three at work. But a recent survey, by OnePoll and London fruit delivery company Fruitdrop, found that only 10% of office workers in the UK eat three pieces of fruit a day while they're at work and only 7.5% eat more than the recommend amount.
A shockingly low 10% of women and 11% of men manage to eat three pieces of fruit a day at work. Office workers in Northern Ireland are the least fond of fruit, with nearly half claiming to not eat any fruit at all during the working day. Scotland and East Anglia also fared badly with 42% and 38% of workers claiming to not eat any fruit at all while at work. The healthiest region surveyed was the West Midlands where 18% of office workers eat three pieces of fruit during the working day.
Colds and flu are one of the most common causes of sick days in the UK, which costs the economy 17 billion pounds a year. Encouraging Great Britain's workforce to enjoy a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit could help us resist the bugs. Eating oranges, which provide vitamin C, reduces the chances of catching colds and flu, hopefully improving productivity. Research has also shown that eating apples can help improve brain activity allowing you to think quicker and work more effectively and lemon juice, when mixed with honey and hot water, creates a great tea that helps sooth a recovering or mild sore throat. Eating a healthy diet can also improve sleep at night and therefore increase energy levels during the day keeping you focused at work.
Office workers aged 35 - 44 are the most likely to eat the recommended amount of fruit with 14% claiming to eat a virtuous three pieces a day while they're at work. However 18 - 24 year olds are the least likely to be getting enough fruit with only 6% admitting they eat three a day.
