A survey has revealed that one in nine men still eat fried food for breakfast even though they know that a healthy alternative would do them more good.

The research, commissioned by the British Heart Foundation in association with Kwik Save supermarkets, also showed that just under half of all 25 to 34-year-olds skip breakfast altogether.

Men and woman appear to have different eating habits with two in three females stressing the importance of a healthy breakfast compared to only half of men.

Only 4% of women normally eat a fried breakfast compared with 13% of men.

People living in Scotland were most likely to eat breakfast (75%) compared with just 53% of those living in the North.

North west blackspot

Women are more likely to eat fruit

Adults in the North West ate the least healthy breakfasts with 12% of those surveyed eating a fry-up and a mere 2% eating fruit.

Of the 1,000 people surveyed, 82% said they believed it was important to eat a healthy breakfast and cereal was by far the most popular breakfast item.

Nearly three out of four breakfast eaters said they eat cereal regularly, followed by toast which is consumed regularly by about half of breakfast eaters.

Heather Waring the BHF's education manager, said: "The survey results were encouraging in that 68% of all adults usually eat breakfast.

"A healthy breakfast kick starts the body's metabolism which slows down while you are asleep and a proper breakfast also gives you plenty of energy to face the day ahead and fights off that mid-morning urge to snack.

"What was more worrying was the surprisingly large numbers of people, especially men, who are still eating fried breakfasts."