It's not related to cc items. I have seen Sims "view" the small picture of a pear if it's on their desk or a bookcase that's near the desk. There's a set of modern salt and pepper shakers that they will "view" if it's near the stove or dining table. The small statue of a pig wearing a chef's hat does this too.
This has been going on for a long time. It doesn't really slow them down much though - maybe five seconds tops. But, I guess, if you're in a hurry even five seconds could be annoying especially in large households. I don't use a lot of deco though.