IRELAND IS NO3 IN THE TOP OF THE CHOC CHOMPERS CHART

THE people of Ireland are now among the biggest chocoholics in the world. This year, the typical citizen ate, on average, 17lbs of it — the equivalent of chomping through 155 Mars bars — to put us third in an international table of chocolate chompers. Despite the obesity crisis, new figures from global analysts Euromonitor International show chocolate consumption has risen for the third year running. One in four children here are overweight or obese while four out of five of them do not meet the physical activity guidelines. Safefood, the health and food hygiene agency, calculates that a fifth of the calorie intake from a child’s diet comes from sugary drinks, biscuits, confectionery, chocolate and cake.

The Euromonitor figures show Switzerland is at the top of the table with a consumption rate of more than 19lbs per person followed by Austria and then Ireland. Germany takes fourth place while the UK follows at fifth.

We are also one of the biggest consumers of sugar confectionery in the world.

Ireland is globally ranked seventh for consumption of sugary sweets.

Euromonitor’s report on Ireland’s chocolate consumption says: “Although Ireland is in the midst of an obesity epidemic, chocolate confectionery consumption continued to grow.

“Consumers continued to be attracted by indulgence, which manufacturers sought to capitalise on in marketing material. For example, a common phenomenon with consumers interested in health and wellness is to have so-called ‘cheat days’ when they indulge in unhealthy snacks.”

Two out of three adults in Ireland are overweight or obese, costing the State €1.1bn every year.