Sometimes Americans think that we invented politicians that say bizarre things and create tempests in teapots. How could The Daily Show with Jon Stewart be so popular without them?
Well, the UK has their share and this week they’ve intersected with the CandyBlog world.
David Cameron, the Conservative leader in London said that retailers with their king sized candies and impulse purchases at the checkout are one of the causes of Brit’s obesity. He singled out WHSmith, ““Why? As Britain faces an obesity crisis, why does WHSmith promote half-price chocolate oranges at its check-outs instead of real oranges?”
Really? Half-priced chocolate oranges are the problem?
And it’s WHSmith’s responsibility to fix the diets of Brits? They’re not even a grocer! The store’s response, “We sell a wide range of products. Customers could buy chocolate or healthier alternatives such as cereal bars or fruit and nuts. Oranges are not that easy and our customers don’t want them, but they might want chocolate oranges. They were very popular in the run-up to Christmas.”
More reading on the subject:
Telegraph: Stores hit back at Cameron’s chocolate slur
Financial Times: Cameron takes aim at chocolate orange
Wikipedia: Biography of David Cameron
WHSmith homepage
Slashfood: Obesity all the fault of cut-price chocolate oranges
And finally, if it makes any difference at all, the Google ads next to the article on the Telegraph were all for fruit.
SUPERB
YUMMY 
TASTY 
WORTH IT 
TEMPTING 
PLEASANT 
BENIGN 
UNAPPEALING 
APPALLING 
INEDIBLE 
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Comment by
Mr. B. on 2/17/06 at 4:20 pm #
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Comment by
Adularia on 7/16/07 at 7:21 pm #
Commenting is not available in this channel entry.As a manager of a WHS store I can tell you the reason why we offer chocolate… because healthy alternatives DO NOT SELL!
We always get people saying “why not offer something healthier” so we did last year, cereal bars… they sold less than a quarter of what chocolate does. People like eating chocolate and stuff that is bad for them because IT TASTES GOOD.
Why else are McDonald’s in business?
Umm, I’m sorry WHS was singled out, but it doesn’t seem bizarre to say that king-sized chocolates play a role in obesity.
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