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Company directors and senior managers are generally in a much healthier condition than their employees, research has shown.

A new study says that the fat cat label given to board members is unjustified as managers are 13 per cent less likely to consider themselves as overweight compared to other employees.

Financial services firm Legal and General, which sponsored today's survey, says that as sedentary work lives are blamed for rising obesity levels, bosses are more clued up on the importance of a healthy diet.

Twenty-nine per cent of managers said they did enough exercise to stay fit, compared to 21 per cent of normal employees.

Dr John Delfosse, company medical officer for Legal and General's group protection business, commented: "Exercise and diet have a significant impact on the health and wellbeing of employees.

"Different responsibilities at work entail different health risks."

Dr Delfosse went on to say: "As this research shows, people in managerial roles are often more likely to suffer from symptoms of stress than their junior colleagues, but on the whole follow a healthier lifestyle.

"It would be great if company directors could help their employees by creating a healthier working environment.

"Not only does a healthy diet and regular exercise help to improve staff morale, it can also have a positive impact on productivity and reduce absenteeism."

But despite the positive results of the research, conducted via interviews with 2,032 adults, senior management is still the most stressed out section of a company, with 28 per cent of managers complaining about their stress levels compared to 18 per cent of workers.