As the true financial cost of the great circus starts to sink in, you will hear more and more about the “legacy” benefits of the games. These gains will be intangible so impossible to actually quantify but do not ask awkward questions, Big Brother says there are great legacies and so pay attention and agree. One of those legacies was meant to be that our kids would become so enthused by the top notch sport that they would all take up regular exercise and so become a lot faster, fitter, etc, etc, etc.
Oh dear. According to a report in today’s Daily Mail:
Sales of ‘couch potato’ snacks such as fizzy drinks, sweets and crisps surged in the four weeks to August 18 – as the nation was gripped by the Games. Sales of soft drinks rose by 10 per cent in value and 8 per cent in volume in this period compared with last summer.
Confectionery sales, which include chocolate, jumped by 8 per cent in value and 6 per cent in terms of the quantity eaten. The figures, compiled by retail analysts Nielsen, also revealed a 7 per cent rise in the value of crisps sold, which translates into a 6 per cent jump in consumption.
Oh dear indeed. Perhaps it is just a blip and the legacy effect will take a bit longer to filter on through.
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