Bosses are fuelling unhealthy lifestyles by "guilt tripping" staff over taking exercise and lunch breaks, according to a survey.

The "no lunch break" culture means one in three people now skips eating meals at work and one in five feels guilty taking time to exercise, says Central YMCA.

The health and education charity found that a third of workers believe their boss is a poor role model. One in five says their employer makes them feel guilty when they take time off to visit their GP or get medical treatment, according to a Comres survey of more than 1,000 office workers, including Londoners.

Dame Carol Black, the Government's national director for health and work, has backed the YMCA report, All Work and No Play?
She said: "If we are to succeed in improving the health of the working age population, everyone who has a vested interest in this area has to work together to provide solutions to the many, varied barriers people face in returning to or getting into work."

The YMCA is working with businesses to encourage '"fit" workplaces, where staff act as "buddies" to encourage colleagues to exercise and eat healthily.

Wilhelmina Crown, 40, a finance manager for the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority, said her health has improved greatly since she joined the "workplace activator" programme.

She said: "The workplace can be a really unhealthy environment. I exercise a lot more than I've ever done, learned to swim and lost over a stone in weight. I feel so much better about myself and this is reflected in my attitude at work and life generally."