A partnership between the Premier League and Cadbury has been criticized by health campaigners, who called it "little more than a marketing ploy," according to the BBC. The three-year sponsorship deal "covers events such as the Golden Boot award and includes promoting healthy lifestyles to schoolchildren." Cadbury said that it would "help educate people" on nutrition, healthy eating and exercise. But critics said that chocolate "should not be associated with healthy lifestyles." National Obesity spokesperson Tam Fry said, "If the sponsorship meant that a host of kids would be encouraged to exercise and kick footballs to kingdom come, but didn't come near a bar of chocolate, the forum might regard it as money well spent. But since the Premier League is rich enough to do this on its own anyway, and Cadbury could be looking at a downturn in the confectionery market, we regard this as little more than a marketing ploy." The deal has "also drawn criticism from Action on Sugar." Nutritionist and campaign manager for the group Jennifer Rosborough said, "Whilst we fully support initiatives geared to promoting healthy lifestyles for children, chocolate, which is laden with sugar, should be an occasional treat and not associated with healthy living" (BBC, 1/25).
