82% of British Workers Put the Economy at Risk by Not Eating Enough Fruit at Work

By Fruitdrop, PRNE
Wednesday, April 13, 2011

New Survey Finds Only 10% of Workers Eat the Recommended Amount of Fruit

LONDON, April 14, 2011 - 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 (www.fruitdrop.co.uk/) 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!

Colds and flu are one of the most common causes of sick days in the UK,
which costs the economy £17 billion a year[1]. 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[2] 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.

The healthiest region surveyed was the West Midlands where 18% of office
workers eat three pieces of fruit during the working day. Employers in
Birmingham and Wolverhampton should be delighted as a healthier workforce is
often more productive. Ben Thompson, Managing Director at Fruitdrop, said: "I
was shocked by the results; it's worrying to think that so many people are
eating very little fruit at work. This should act as a wake-up call for
employers, providing fruit for your workforce is really simple and can have a
big impact on raising morale and improving productivity."

About Fruitdrop

Fruitdrop provides business all across the country with weekly fruit
boxes so their workforce can snack on apples, oranges and bananas rather than
the typical sweets, snacks and crisps found in most vending machines.

For businesses based in the capital Fruitdrop specialises in fruit
delivery in London. (www.fruitdrop.co.uk/)

For more information visit www.fruitdrop.co.uk.

About OnePoll

OnePoll undertakes a wide range of market research projects, working on
behalf of companies from various sectors within the UK and around the world.

OnePoll's data is used for a host of purposes such as generating feedback
on websites, new products and services or potential ad campaigns. Stories
based on OnePoll's research are also covered regularly by the national press,
TV and radio broadcasters and online.

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[1] www.moneyavenue.co.uk/news/executives-appointments-jobs-vacancies-careers-recruitment-part-time-employment/recession-clamps-down-on-employee-sick-days.html

[2] en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Apples#Health_benefits

(Due to the length of this URL, it may be necessary to copy and paste
this hyperlink into your Internet browser's URL address field. Remove the
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For further information please contact: James Mortimer (james.mortimer at leapfrogg.co.uk, +44(0)1273-322-837); Lucy Freeborn (lucy.freeborn at leapfrogg.co.uk, +44(0)1273-322-849)

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