You probably won’t be surprised to hear that people who use their cars or vans for work tend to be pretty unhealthy. And Fleet Transport Magazine with the support of Ford, Apple Green and the Health and Safety Authority are trying to put this right.
The Ford Drive to Fitness campaign has been launched, which is aimed at encouraging company car and van drivers to look after their health through better food choices and more regular exercise.
As part of the campaign, Ford in conjunction with Fleet Transport magazine commissioned research into the lifestyle of these drivers and the findings show that they have health issues that are mainly attributable to the sedentary and often stress-filled nature of their work. The campaign seeks to provide tips for these drivers on how they can make small changes to their diet and exercise regime which can help redress the balance.
Some of the findings aren’t really that surprising, yet they are still cause for alarm. 74 per cent of respondents admitted to being overweight, which is 18 per cent more than the adult population at large. In the face of all of these statistics, 57 per cent of respondents maintain that they are healthy.
41 per cent of drivers admitted to regularly eating lunch in their vehicles with 46 per cent providing a packed lunch while 24 per cent choose take-away foods from shops and garages.
Of the 30 per cent of the driver’s who smoke, a staggering 95 per cent of them smoke more than 30 cigarettes per day. Half of drivers claim to exercise two to three times per week, yet only 27 per cent feel that exercise would contribute to their health and wellbeing.
Nutritional therapist, Elsa Jones has helped to produce a leaflet with healthy nutritional tips that can be accessed on www.drivetofitness.ie or at Applegreen fuel outlets and Ford Dealerships nationwide.
Picture: Eddie Murphy of Ford Ireland and nutritional therapist, Elsa Jones, at the launch of the Ford Drive for Fitness campaign.