Millions of adults eat lunch at their desk every day as they're 'too busy'

A study of 2,000 office workers and students revealed that a whopping 82% end up eating their midday meal at their desk during a typical week, with nearly half (46%) dining 'al-desko' most days. Shockingly, almost one in five (18%) don't have anywhere else to eat at a table making their desk the next best option and those who do manage to escape only spend an average of 32 minutes away from work. The research also discovered that six out of 10 people skip taking a dedicated lunch break altogether, despite 89% agreeing it's important to take ten.

Interestingly, over half (52%) of those who do take time out claim they feel refreshed after a moment away from their desk. Phil Thomson, senior business development director at Lipton Ice Tea, which commissioned the research as part of their campaign to encourage the nation to reclaim their midday meal with the launch of , commented: "Our study has shown how few take a break, despite generally understanding the benefits of doing so - in a world where work life balance is a popular topic, valuing lunch time should be part of the discussion." "It sounds counterintuitive, but stopping work for a bit can actually lead you to getting much more done throughout the day, and help you lift your mood, feeling more energised for the rest of your day.

" The study also found that 38% feel the need to take a break to escape their screens, while 31% require time to recharge. However, according to OnePoll figures, 36% of people are concerned that mod.