The extent of unhealthy living in the UK has been increasing over the past decade, but has also shown improvements in some aspects, according to a report released this week by Vitality.
That includes an increase in obesity but a decline in binge drinking over the last 10 years.
The report, titled 10 years of Britain’s Healthiest Workplace: The changing face of the UK at work shows that one of the biggest challenges to the health of the UK workforce is the growth of unhealthy living.
On the plus side, the report shows certain negative lifestyle factors have decreased, including drinking to excess, which declined by approximately 27% over the last decade.
But the negative health effects of unhealthy living have continued to increase and impact productivity since 2014.
In October 2024 Vitality conducted a survey of 2,000 UK employees, in partnership with Opinium. These employees were asked how their health and wellbeing has changed, their perspectives on the support offered by their employer, and attitudes towards remote and flexible working.
Key findings from the last decade include:
- Obesity rates have increased by 51%, rising by 55% for those under 35, and one in four UK employees were obese in 2023
- Anxiety and depression rates among UK workers have surged 75%.
- Lost productivity has more than doubled across a 10-year period
- Reported rates of depression have more than doubled for employees aged 35 to 49
Obesity
While the findings show the obesity rate has increased for all age groups since 2014, it highlights this increase rose by a concerning 55% for under 35s, compared to 39% for those aged between 35 and 49, and 32% for employees aged 50 and older.
The worrying trend means almost one in four (23%) UK employees were obese in 2023.
And furthermore, in 2023 37% of employees were physically inactive, and more than half (56%) did not have a healthy diet.
Examining potential causes for the increase in obesity levels, Vitality’s findings highlight 37% of employees were physically inactive, and more than half (56%) did not eat a healthy diet in 2023.
Increase in poor mental health
The findings also show how mental health in the UK is declining with rates of depression and anxiety dramatically increasing.
Since 2014, anxiety and depression rates among UK workers have surged 75%. Additionally, financial worries are common, with 52% expressing concerns in 2023, 10% of which are severe, and 15% of employees reporting burnout – defined as chronic workplace stress.
Since that year, reported rates of depression have also more than doubled for employees aged 35 to 49, a life stage often referred to as the ‘sandwich generation’ due to caring responsibilities for elderly parents and young children.
Furthermore, in 2023 employees under the age of 50 were at significantly higher risk of anxiety and depression, with 14% of under 35s and 10% of those aged 35 to 49 being at risk, compared to 5% of those aged 50 or over.
The increasing productivity problem
Looking at Britain’s Healthiest Workplace data, lost productivity has more than doubled across a 10-year period – from 23 lost days of productivity in 2014 to around 50 lost days in 2022 and 2023.
A major challenge facing employers is the fact that, despite having processes in place to track and manage formal absence from work, presenteeism (which is ‘unseen’ and harder to track) accounts for nearly 90% of all lost productivity.
Arun Thiyagarajan, CEO of VitalityHealth, said: “Our Britain’s Healthiest Workplace research over the past 10 years has shown a clear correlation between an employee’s physical and mental health, and their productivity.
“With more of the UK workforce than ever reporting key risks such as obesity and depression – which have hugely negative impacts for the individual, their life and their productivity at work, as well as driving increased healthcare demand – it’s up to business, government, and society to take steps to not just manage employee health and its productivity fallout, but positively improve it.”
