Yesterday Daily Bread flagged up research showing Britons couldn’t care less where their food comes from. Today we found out why.
Research published in the Lancet showed British adults are among the laziest in Europe. We’re not just incurious about food - we’re physically idle too.
Almost two-thirds of adult Britons do less than the recommended daily amount of exercise. Only the people of Malta (72% idleness) and Serbia (68%) do less exercise than us (and most of Serbia’s national exercise is done singlehandedly by Novak Djokovic).
With the Olympics little more than a week away, the timing could hardly be more on-the-nose. And this week has brought another round of criticism for sponsors, who must be wondering what they’ve let themselves in for.
Each day seems to bring a fresh round of controversy, whether it’s overzealous enforcement of IP protection, exclusivity of serve around the Olympic park - or most recently, tax breaks for sponsors.
McDonald’s has agreed to waive a tax break for non-UK companies sponsoring the games, bowing to pressure from Ethical Consumer magazine and 150,000 signatories of an online petition.
“We will not be making any corporate income tax exemption claim with respect to any activity concerning our involvement with the London Olympic and Paralympic Games,” sighed a spokesman for the fast food chain.
The move has piled pressure on Coca-Cola to follow suit - and highlights the political tightrope sponsors are walking in a distinctly gusty climate.
In Saturday’s edition of The Grocer, we report on how Olympic-themed merchandise is already cropping up in the nation’s pound shops. If this is Britain in celebratory mood, you dread to think what the hangover will be like.
So much for a legacy.
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