British lorry drivers consume almost 4,000 calories a day whilst on the road, gaining 12lbs annually

A new survey has suggested that lorry drivers who don’t have an active personal life gain on average 12lbs a year by consuming almost 4,000 calories a day in snacks, junk food and fizzy drinks, whilst out on the road.

The team behind www.wmblogistics.co.uk carried out the research as part of an ongoing study into the lifestyle choices of UK-based logistics drivers. 804 Britons aged 18 and over, all of whom stated that they are employed as a lorry driver, and have worked in this sector for at least a year, were questioned about their lifestyle and how their line of work has affected this.

Initially all respondents were asked what they liked most about being a lorry driver, to which the majority stated it was ‘being able to see various parts of the country’ (41%), whilst others stated ‘having flexible working hours’ (29%) and ‘the pay, overtime and bonuses’ (24%) 

All respondents were then asked what they considered to be the negatives of working as a lorry driver. The three most common responses were found to be ‘working away from family for long periods of time’ (39%), ‘gaining weight’ (26%) and ‘being alone for long periods of time’ (24%). 

As many respondents felt that gaining weight was a common issue, respondents were asked if they worried about their health on a regular basis, with the majority (58%) claiming they do. Following on from this, all respondents were then asked if they prepared their meals for when they are working, with the majority claiming that they do not (88%). Furthermore, 94% stated that they struggled to find healthy options whilst out driving, with even healthier options still not being an ideal healthy option.

Wanting to delve a little deeper, all respondents were then asked which type of foods they consider to be their downfall. When provided with a list of possible responses and told to select all that applied, UK lorry drivers revealed their top five go-to foods were as follows:

1. Snacks, i.e. crisps, chocolate and sweets – 79%
2. Energy drinks and fizzy drinks – 64%
3. Full English breakfasts – 56%
4. Fast food / takeaways – 44%
5. Microwave ready meals – 40% 

Following on from this, all respondents were asked to estimate the amount how many calories they consumed a day. Once all responses were collated, the average was revealed to be 3,970 calories per day, which is between 1,170 and 1,670 more than the recommended daily amount.

Finally, all respondents were asked to estimate how much their weight had changed in the last year. Taking all answers into account, it was found that the average respondent had gained 12lbs. 

A spokesperson for www.wmblogistics.co.uk made the following response: “Unfortunately, a large part of being a lorry driver involves being sat down for a prolonged period of time. Even though when the delivery is made the manual labour may be tough for a short burst, the bulk involves being sedentary. This, in turn, is likely to lead to weight gain for those who aren’t fit and active in their personal lives and don’t watch what they eat whilst on the road. A few small changes here and there can make the world of difference; swap the crisps for a piece of fruit, swap the microwave ready meals for some microwave rice and chicken or ham and switch the fizzy drinks for water or juice.”