Shocking new research out today from games company Hasbro has revealed that the average child will consume a staggering 3084 calories* in chocolate this Easter – one-and-a-half times the recommended daily calorific intake for children (on average 2000 calories).
The research – carried out by YouGov in March this year** - shows that 58% of parents expect their children to eat two to three chocolate eggs each over the holiday period, with more than one in five (21%) predicting their children will devour in excess of four over the four day Easter period.
Hasbro commissioned the report to examine children’s play patterns over the school holidays and how frequently children and adults interacted in traditional play such as board games. They and were shocked to discover the huge amount of chocolate UK children are set to eat over Easter.
Explained Hasbro spokesperson Gail Bridgeman: “We came up with a fun initiative this year to try and encourage families to get together and spend time having fun playing our board games. We suggested that parents buy a board game for the kids instead of one or two chocolate eggs.
“We’re certainly not anti-chocolate – ultimately Easter isn’t really Easter without the eggs. We were just surprised by the findings and thought a classic board game like Monopoly, Cluedo or even Twister might be a fun alternative to those extra chocolate eggs.”
The survey went on to find that while 40% of people were looking forward to a well earned break, almost a third of those interviewed (31%) would spend their holiday wasting time or lazing around. As a traditionally family time almost one in five people (18%) would be sitting down to enjoy a good board game with friends and family.
Bridgeman added: “With child obesity tripling in the UK over the last two decades and with 10% of six year olds overweight rising to 17% of 15 year olds*** perhaps now is the time to give’ chocolate the chop’ in invest in some good old fashioned fun.”