Lifestyle Report: Health and Fitness

Unfit and overweight - some publicans could do with examining how healthy their lifestyles are.

Exercise​

Licensees certainly don't treat their body like a temple.

In fact, with a quarter of all respondents never exercising or taking part in sport for more than 20 minutes at a time, they take care of it as one would a derelict barn.

That an additional 18 per cent admit they break into a sweat less than once a month combines to provide a rather alarming insight into the fitness levels of the nation's licensees.

On a lighter note, 16 per cent manage to exercise on a daily basis, while one out of five indulge in some serious fitness two or three times a week.

Diet​ They may be surrounded by booze, sugary drinks and calorie-laden crisps and nuts but most licensees maintain they have at least a fairly healthy diet.

Only one in 10 respondents say they eat in a very healthy way, however, while a third concede that they could do with a few more fruit and vegetables now and again.

While only nine per cent admit that their diet is very unhealthy don't be fooled. Honesty may be an issue here and this figure is probably a lot higher.

Weight​

Oh dear. Almost half of the nation's publicans consider themselves overweight, which is almost 10 percentage points higher than the national average.

A similar number reckon they're just about the right weight but of this number there must be a few who are in denial and telling porky pies (as well as eating them).

Strangely, the highest percentage of overweight licensees can be found in East Anglia - perhaps its the lack of hills - while Wales is home to the largest proportion of underweight pint-pullers.

Smoking​

If an outright smoking ban is introduced in pubs and bars, 38 per cent of licensees will be stubbing out their cigarettes in disgust.

While this compares unfavourably with the total population, of which one in four are regular smokers, others would argue it's a relatively low level when you take the cigarette-friendly pub environment into account.

Those who run a community pub in the South East are the most likely to be smokers according to the survey, while licensees in charge of Welsh food-led pubs are the most likely to abstain from the lure of tobacco.

Playing sports​

It is little surprise that fitness levels are so low among publicans when you look at their preferred sports.

The pub-based duo of snooker/pool and darts, both of which can be played at a sedentary pace with a pint or fag in one hand, top the list ahead of golf - a sport that's positively vigorous in comparison.

Ten-pin bowling is especially popular in the East Midlands, licensees wearing swimming trunks are most often seen in the South East and West and publicans in managed houses are the keenest footballers.

Alcohol intake​

Amid all this talk of binge-drinking and irresponsible consumption of alcohol, it is worth pointing out that more than 50 per cent of publicans drink in excess of the recommended levels of alcohol every week.

While the government suggests no more than 21 units for men and 14 for women, the average intake of booze among those behind the bar is 23.7 units.

Licensees in the North East are the biggest boozers, while among the nine per cent who don't touch a drop it is the Welsh, again, who score the highest.

Also, publicans in managed houses drink the most - probably because it's not their stock!