The British Heart Foundation (BHF) says more than a third of working adults and 40% of men aged 25 to 50 believe work is damaging their health.

They think work has made them put on weight, stopped them doing exercise and made them feel tired and irritable.

Many now work more intensively than they did two years ago and believe this has had a bad effect on their health.

Of the 659 adults surveyed, 45% said they took fewer breaks at work than they did in 1997.

More than half said they took less than 30 minutes for lunch while more than a third of women took no lunch break at all.

Only a fifth of those who took a break used it at least twice a week to do any form of physical activity.

Healthier lifestyles

The social lives of 85% of those surveyed suffered because of work and half felt tired and irritable because of their job, particularly women and white collar workers.

Many said alcohol and tobacco were a health risk at work and wanted them to be banned.

The survey coincides with the launch of a four-week BHF campaign targeting adults and aimed at encouraging them to adopt a healthier lifestyle.

The campaign will include a TV advert showing a man progressing from his mid-20s to his late 50s.

He does not look after himself and his mantra is "Why bother? You could get hit by a bus tomorrow".

Maxine Smith director of communications at the BHF, said: "We are urging 25 to 50 year olds - about 80% of whom work - to think about how their lifestyle may be affecting the health of their heart and to consider ways of balancing healthier daily activities with a busy week.

"The process of furring up of the arteries starts in young people and is influenced by lifestyle".