Chocolate preferred to sex

More than half of British women prefer chocolate to sex, saying it can be depended on to give pleasure, according to a survey published Tuesday.

But British men overwhelmingly think sex is sweeter, with 87% preferring carnal pleasures to a bar of confectionery.

Fifty-two percent of women would rather curl up with a bar of chocolate, according to the survey of 1 500 Britons by confectionery giant Cadbury, quoting one women as saying "chocolate provides guaranteed pleasure".

"Chocolate never disappoints," she said.

Cadbury - hit by a salmonella scare last year - highlighted a study by psychologists at the University of Wales into links between chocolate and endorphins, the mood-enhancing chemicals which produce feelings of pleasure.

Not just endorphins
"It's not just the endorphins that make chocolate so enjoyable," said Paul Hebblethwaite, the company's global science director.

"As it melts in the mouth at body temperature, chocolate's creamy texture and unique aroma hit all of the body's senses, heightening the sensuality of the experience," he added.

Tastes vary between different parts of the UK: Londoners are the keenest on sex, with 79% preferring it to chocolate, while overall, 40% of people in eastern England would prefer to have a bar of chocolate.

The manufacturer also pointed out that almost half of British men regularly give chocolate as a birthday present or a thank you gift. – (Sapa-AFP)

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June 2007