Gordon Brown is reportedly eating up to nine bananas a day as part of a pre-election health drive.

The Prime Minister's wife Sarah is said to be behind the diet designed to wean him off chocolate. Mrs Brown apparently told her husband to reduce his chocolate intake in an effort to get him in shape before the general election, which is expected in May.

The newspaper claimed that Mr Brown's three-KitKat-a-day habit had been significantly reduced, with the Prime Minister now only treating himself when under extreme pressure. It quoted a Downing Street source as saying: "Like with everything, Gordon is an obsessive. Bananas are his big thing now - he can't get enough of them. The PM has always liked to chew on something during endless meetings. So the suggestion was made to him that bananas might be a more healthy option that the KitKats and fizzy drinks he loves. He knows he's up against two fitter and younger men in David Cameron and Nick Clegg during the Election campaign, so he's keen to look a bit leaner. He has taken up jogging and goes to the gym."

Hmmm... calories per 100g...

Melons = 24.0

Strawberries = 25.7

Oranges = 37.0

Apples = 47.0

Bananas = 95.0!!!

Careful there fatty!

Fitness came at the expense of gravitas...

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