Healthy eating and physical activity
What it is
A poor diet and lack of exercise are primary causes of ill health, which can negatively affect our working life. Eating a balanced diet can reduce our risk of developing obesity and chronic diseases such as type 2 diabetes, stroke, some cancers and heart disease.
Recent statistics from Public Health England show that:
- 57% women and 66% men in UK overweight or obese
- obesity reduces average life expectancy by 9 years
- the estimated cost of an unhealthy workforce to the UK tax payer is £60 billion annually
Ill health impacts on people’s ability to work productively, maintain adequate levels of attendance and cope with the stresses and strains of the workplace.
Making good food choices and being more active improves physical and mental health and both immediate and long term health outcomes.
Why it should matter to you
The benefits of healthy eating are felt by employers too!
Keeping your workforce healthy will help to increase productivity. Having space and time to eat and being active together can improve staff morale and team working through enabling social interaction.
Employers are well placed to help champion healthy eating and physical activity as most adults spend a large proportion of their waking time in the workplace. You can help their workforce to make healthier food choices by:
- involving them in decisions and food availability in the workplace
- not having vending machines stocked with high fat and high sugar foods or stocking vending machines with healthier options
- providing work place fridges and communal eating areas
- subsidising healthy foods high in fruit and vegetables an low in sugar and fat food options in the canteen
- displaying health promotion materials
- incentive work travel by walking and cycling
- introducing good in-house cycling facilities and having in-house changing facilities
- encouraging walking meetings and breaks
- introducing standing or active desks and breakout areas
- establishing work-related sporting activities/groups and incentives with local leisure providers
- supporting the local economy and protecting the environment by procuring food from local sources, composting and minimising food waste.
Steps you can take
You can take several steps to look after your employees, improve their diet and encourage physical activity. These range from putting up posters in shared staff spaces to full policy changes.
These are the different levels on offer as part of our free wellbeing at work scheme:
- Bronze: Display and signposting health promotion and information
- Silver: Campaigns health development
- Gold: Training enabling and increasing access to local wellbeing services
- Platinum: Policy changes and culture changes
To take the first steps towards looking after your staff, register for the scheme below.
