Figures from UK Healthy Workplace Survey, published yesterday by engagement consultancy ORC International revealed 42% of regular smokers report to be either healthy or very healthy. Just 17% perceive themselves to be unhealthy or very unhealthy.
The smokers were not the only group with optimistic illusions about their health. In a world where skinny is king and size zero dominates glossy magazine front covers, a worrying 65% of those who describe themselves as underweight would also say they are healthy or very healthy.
The survey also found only 12% of the UK workforce would consider themselves to be unhealthy or very unhealthy, 24% of the survey respondents regularly smoke and 41% drink regularly, 39% would describe themselves as overweight, 60% do less than three hours of exercise per week and 27% of those who do zero hours of exercise a week would say they are very healthy or healthy
The UK Healthy Workplace Survey was conducted in partnership with former Olympic athlete, Sally Gunnell, who is promoting her initiative to bring healthy living into the workplace and commissioned this research to gauge the attitudes of UK employees towards wellbeing at work.
Sally Winston, employee engagement expert at ORC International said: "Views on health don't match the reality of behaviours. Employers can play a role in helping individuals to become healthier, through education, communication and by providing access to a range of healthy workplace initiatives. Our research highlighted a definite link between engagement and wellbeing.
"It suggests that if employers show staff that they care about their wellbeing, they are likely to be better engaged, committed and excited about coming to work."
In total 1,011 respondents completed the survey.
