New plans announced to improve workplace health

New ideas have been announced in an effort to improve the health of the nation, it has emerged.

According to reports, the chairman of England Health, Professor Julian le Grand, has recommended that larger organisations with over 500 employees should be compelled to reserve a 60-minute period each day for staff to participate in fitness activities.

Professor le Grand, who is also a former advisor to Tony Blair, made his comments during a recent speech for the Royal Statistical Society.

"We need new thinking and new ideas. We face new health challenges from obesity and old ones from smoking which add up to something of a crisis," said Professor le Grand.

"There is a real risk that our children will die at a younger age than us," he added.

It was also suggested that office employees should have provisions of free fruit and that "healthy choices" become the rule rather than the exception.