Thirties are the toughest

London: Women in their thirties say it is their "hardest decade" because they are exhausted by the demands of a career and motherhood.

Their health is suffering because they miss sleep, skip meals and feel stressed, a survey reveals.

About 85 per cent of women polled said they "frequently felt tired", while 59 per cent said they "feel tired all the time".

Most women in their thirties and forties admitted to snacking because they don't have time to eat properly, while 60 per cent cancelled social events because they felt stressed.

Marina Crook, editor of Top Sant magazine, which did the research, said: "When thirtysomething women say they are 'tired and stressed out of their minds' they probably are.

"Tiredness and stress are ailments of our age and combined with a poor diet they cause low immunity and ill health.

But women need to find time to relax and eat a healthy diet to be able to juggle the demands of work, motherhood and their busy, stressful lives."