CSR in the Public Sector - Chocolate Bars Banned in Hospitals

It's easy to forget that the NHS is the largest employing organisation in the UK with around 1.3 million employees.

The Guardian reports here on a move by the CEO of the NHS to ban the sale of confectionery products with more than 250 calories in NHS shops and vending machines. 

On the one hand this is a move designed to support the fight against obesity amongst the general public, with the obesity crisis linked to rising levels of diabetes and other conditions.

The ban can also be seen as part of an employers' duty of care to its employees. The Guardian article suggests that around 700,000 NHS employees are either overweight or obese. Making the food choices available to them in the workplace a little healthier can't be bad for them.

But, what about the counter argument? Should the NHS be restricting choice in this way? And what about soft drinks and sandwiches - which also have a high calorific content?