Good mental wellbeing consists of having the appropriate support, tools and initiatives in place. It is also important that employees are aware of the ways in which comfort eating can impact their mental health.

The Food for thought study by Wren Kitchens reveals that stress and anxiety can take a huge toll on our health with these emotions directly impacting our diet.

Comfort eating is becoming increasingly popular among sales workers in terms of dealing with stress in the workplace, with the use of stimulants such as alcohol, coffee and nicotine also common methods of stress relief, according to a study by Perkbox.

Just over half (54 per cent) of those working in the sales industry confirm that stress causes them to comfort eat, the study of 3,000 UK workers finds.

Those in the sales industry are found to be stressed several times in a day, and the easiest method of relieving this stress is simply to walk over to a vending machine or step outside to have a quick cigarette break, according to the research.

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However, this is more likely to lead to obesity and poor health, Perkbox says, which slows down the productivity of employees in the workplace. Products high in sugar will not help in keeping blood sugar levels balanced therefore, employees who comfort eat put their health at high risk.

According to the findings by Perkbox, only 13 per cent reveal that their workplace has offered subsidised or free gym membership to help relieve stress and improve wellbeing in the workplace.

Chief marketing officer and co-founder of Perkbox, Chieu Cao says, ‘Overeating or turning to alcohol, caffeine or nicotine can have negative effects on our health. Bosses within the sales industry should be careful to limit junk food and alcohol-related perks as incentives for staff.

‘There are numerous benefits that businesses can offer which promote physical and mental health, yet are still strongly desired by staff.

‘For example, exercise through the form of office sports teams, free or discounted gym membership, free yoga classes and mindfulness are all ‘perks’ that play into healthy coping mechanisms for stress, yet are relatively inexpensive for businesses to set up.’