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Is Giving Out Candy on Halloween Adding to the Obesity Problem?

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Replies

  • psychod787
    psychod787 Posts: 4,088 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    When you're getting close to thinking you want to stop answering the door, dump all the candy in the bag(s) of the next trick-or-treater(s), and turn out the light. Leftover candy problem solved.

    There's never any left overs, my only problem is staying out of the lollies so there is enough left to hand out 😁
    aokoye wrote: »
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    Also just think about the post Halloween candy sales...

    We've had some great pre Halloween sales multi packs of mini mars bar, caramello koalas, Turkish delight and freddo frogs.
    Half price.. I stocked up 😜 fingers crossed now that no kids come trick or treating 😂

    I hate how tempting these sales are..... all my grocery stores have the full bags of name brands (reeses, kit kat, snickers, etc) for $.50-$1. I can never pass it up, lol.

    (sorry so off topic of original thread)

    It's not really off topic, though. Perhaps OP meant that it's the parents stocking up on treats that's the real problem, here. :D

    Well they could be making some delicious homemade soup.

    Mmm chocolate soup....

    What time should I show up? What kind of wine pairs with chocolate soup? Loo
  • aokoye
    aokoye Posts: 3,495 Member
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    When you're getting close to thinking you want to stop answering the door, dump all the candy in the bag(s) of the next trick-or-treater(s), and turn out the light. Leftover candy problem solved.

    There's never any left overs, my only problem is staying out of the lollies so there is enough left to hand out 😁
    aokoye wrote: »
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    Also just think about the post Halloween candy sales...

    We've had some great pre Halloween sales multi packs of mini mars bar, caramello koalas, Turkish delight and freddo frogs.
    Half price.. I stocked up 😜 fingers crossed now that no kids come trick or treating 😂

    I hate how tempting these sales are..... all my grocery stores have the full bags of name brands (reeses, kit kat, snickers, etc) for $.50-$1. I can never pass it up, lol.

    (sorry so off topic of original thread)

    This might be one of the only times in the debate forum where most people posting are more than willing to figure out where this derail winds its way to.
  • OpulentBobble
    OpulentBobble Posts: 18 Member
    No, Halloween candy is not contributing to the obesity epidemic. Even if, theoretically, Halloween candy was consumed in its entirety in one week, you said that's about 10,000 calories? We can't know for sure, but let's just say. And let's say those were all excess calories, that's 2.5 lbs of weight gain. Obviously that isn't healthy or sustainable, but is it a main factor in the obesity epidemic? No.

    Plus most of the time Halloween candy is tightly regulated by parents (plus they eat a bunch) and lasts for sometimes 2 months! A lot of excess candy is often donated, there are several programs to send Halloween candy to troops and I think some places will provide little gifts for Halloween candy turn ins.

    However, I do see the desire for non-food options. Next year I'm going to have candy plus little toys or snap bracelets. A lot of kids have allergies or dietary restrictions and they want to participate too!

    Check out the teal pumpkin project! You put a teal pumpkin in your front yard to indicate you have non-food options for trick or treat!
  • Ironwoman1111
    Ironwoman1111 Posts: 3,913 Member
    edited October 2019
    NovusDies wrote: »
    I was just sitting here thinking about the probably 10k calories of candy the average kid might be taking home.

    It is generally pretty cold does anyone make a pot of soup and give it out in cups?

    What are other good alternatives? Seaweed snacks? They are green. Maybe fiber one bars? Or should a person focus on protein? I have a bunch of squid that I could smoke. That seems Halloween-ish.

    Discuss


    I’m pretty sure you’re joking!😊🙃 I have the best neighbors, more than one house will offer the kids hot chocolate, cookies, and for the parents spiked coffee or hot chocolate. It’s just fun to walk around and see how much effort people put into entertaining themselves and strangers’ kids. I think it’s a wonderful tradition, and it’s only once a year. 🤷🏽‍♀️
  • J_NY_Z
    J_NY_Z Posts: 2,535 Member
    The answer to OP's original question is a resounding "NO". Obesity rates have been in the increase over the past 30 years while the amounts and calorie densities of candy handed out during Halloween has been essentially the same.
  • J_NY_Z
    J_NY_Z Posts: 2,535 Member
    There is no causation or correlation in the data.
  • snickerscharlie
    snickerscharlie Posts: 8,581 Member
    aokoye wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    When you're getting close to thinking you want to stop answering the door, dump all the candy in the bag(s) of the next trick-or-treater(s), and turn out the light. Leftover candy problem solved.

    There's never any left overs, my only problem is staying out of the lollies so there is enough left to hand out 😁
    aokoye wrote: »
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    Also just think about the post Halloween candy sales...

    We've had some great pre Halloween sales multi packs of mini mars bar, caramello koalas, Turkish delight and freddo frogs.
    Half price.. I stocked up 😜 fingers crossed now that no kids come trick or treating 😂

    I hate how tempting these sales are..... all my grocery stores have the full bags of name brands (reeses, kit kat, snickers, etc) for $.50-$1. I can never pass it up, lol.

    (sorry so off topic of original thread)

    It's not really off topic, though. Perhaps OP meant that it's the parents stocking up on treats that's the real problem, here. :D

    Well they could be making some delicious homemade soup.

    Mmm chocolate soup....

    Or you could just go all high-brow and call it fondue. :D
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    It recently hit me that the age to stop Trick or Treating has been raised by 2 years. It really is a community thing and if you go out or not is peer driven. When I was a kid in the 60's, 6th grade was the last time we had class parties and the last time we went Trick or Treating. It was just expected and you were teased if it was found out you went out (unless you were babysitting). Now it is 8th grade. Why? Our schools were divided up into Grade (k-3), elementary (4-6), Jr. High (7-9) and High School (10-12). With the changes which made Middle School for grades 6-8 kids consider themselves "too old for baby things" after leaving Middle school.

    Yes, there are teenagers but there always were.

    November 1st always smelled like wet leaves and pumpkin from all the Jack O'Lanterns smashed in the street (at least that is how I remember it)

    Not getting a lot of candy. I don't get a lot of kids and it is supposed to be snowing on the 31st so I expect fewer than usual. Making a batch of chili for that night so any kids who want some instead of candy are welcome to it.
  • bobshuckleberry
    bobshuckleberry Posts: 281 Member
    Not if:
    1. When I was a kid we only went to houses where we knew the occupants, they actually pretended to try to guess who we were. This limited the amount of candy we received. Kids do not need to go to every neighborhood having a trick or treat time or day.
    2. Parents can....although most don't....give their kids limits on how many treats they have from their pumpkin or bag each day. Society seems to have forgotten that our teachings help map our our children's behavior patterns.
  • candylilacs
    candylilacs Posts: 614 Member
    CICO!
  • cosmiqrecovery
    cosmiqrecovery Posts: 171 Member
    edited October 2019
    I know you said cups but now I'm just imagining someone ladling molten hot soup into some poor kid's pillowcase.

    Anyway, let kids be kids for one day. Parents can limit how much of that candy their kid eats as they see fit.
  • AnnPT77
    AnnPT77 Posts: 31,721 Member
    edited October 2019
    aokoye wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    When you're getting close to thinking you want to stop answering the door, dump all the candy in the bag(s) of the next trick-or-treater(s), and turn out the light. Leftover candy problem solved.

    There's never any left overs, my only problem is staying out of the lollies so there is enough left to hand out 😁
    aokoye wrote: »
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    Also just think about the post Halloween candy sales...

    We've had some great pre Halloween sales multi packs of mini mars bar, caramello koalas, Turkish delight and freddo frogs.
    Half price.. I stocked up 😜 fingers crossed now that no kids come trick or treating 😂

    I hate how tempting these sales are..... all my grocery stores have the full bags of name brands (reeses, kit kat, snickers, etc) for $.50-$1. I can never pass it up, lol.

    (sorry so off topic of original thread)

    It's not really off topic, though. Perhaps OP meant that it's the parents stocking up on treats that's the real problem, here. :D

    Well they could be making some delicious homemade soup.

    Mmm chocolate soup....

    Or you could just go all high-brow and call it fondue. :D

    Did you read that recipe? Scary molecular gastronomy! (Maybe tasty, dunno).

    The soup, which seems to be a cold soup, is poured over cubes of jelled "chocolate water", then topped with nut-crunchy stuff.

    That is not fondue. NotNotNot.

    :lol:
  • puffbrat
    puffbrat Posts: 2,806 Member
    AnnPT77 wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    When you're getting close to thinking you want to stop answering the door, dump all the candy in the bag(s) of the next trick-or-treater(s), and turn out the light. Leftover candy problem solved.

    There's never any left overs, my only problem is staying out of the lollies so there is enough left to hand out 😁
    aokoye wrote: »
    Of course it's contributing. Halloween is not celebrated here like over there but is gaining momentum. In the past 5 years I've had maybe 6 kids at the door. Every year I buy a heap of chocolate knowing I'll be the one to eat most of it. *rubs belly* I better go back to the shop, I've already eaten all the chocolate 😜😁

    Also just think about the post Halloween candy sales...

    We've had some great pre Halloween sales multi packs of mini mars bar, caramello koalas, Turkish delight and freddo frogs.
    Half price.. I stocked up 😜 fingers crossed now that no kids come trick or treating 😂

    I hate how tempting these sales are..... all my grocery stores have the full bags of name brands (reeses, kit kat, snickers, etc) for $.50-$1. I can never pass it up, lol.

    (sorry so off topic of original thread)

    It's not really off topic, though. Perhaps OP meant that it's the parents stocking up on treats that's the real problem, here. :D

    Well they could be making some delicious homemade soup.

    Mmm chocolate soup....

    Or you could just go all high-brow and call it fondue. :D

    Did you read that recipe? Scary molecular gastronomy! (Maybe tasty, dunno).

    The soup, which seems to be a cold soup, is poured over cubes of jelled "chocolate water", then topped with nut-crunchy stuff.

    That is not fondue. NotNotNot.

    :lol:

    I honestly can't decide if whether or not it sounds good, but it would be hilarious to drop some of the chocolate cubes in a kid's treat bag and then ladle some of the soup on top. And then sprinkling in the nut topping while they stare at you in shock.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    I don't think one candy binge per year amounts to much in the scheme of things.
    That said, I always find an excuse to not be home during trick or treat. I'm that house with the porch light off every year.
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    h5rlvh58sikk.jpg

    No doubt. Where is the dressing?

    No dressing, dude. Dressing has calories. <nods>

    A light vinegar dressing would add practically nothing. Plus the kid might want relief from all the sweetness they have to endure.

    Make it apple cider vinegar and you have the virtue-signalling bingo.

    That would keep the costs down. Thanks.

    The one with "the mother" is a bit more pricey, but likely still doable. And the payback in self-righteousness would be so worth it. :D

    giphy.gif
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    lx1x wrote: »
    We don't get much trick or treaters.. so not issue for us in my neighborhood. 😁


    We get somewhere between 100-150. Man that is going to be a huge batch of soup.

    You should throw the squid in the soup and call it done.

    PoshDarkBrocketdeer-size_restricted.gif
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    NovusDies wrote: »
    WinoGelato wrote: »
    NovusDies wrote: »
    aokoye wrote: »
    Even if you were to give out soup, I still question how you would package it as to make sure it won't spill in the kids' bags, especially if those children are running. It's also simply unrealistic to assume that a kid (and their parent) will want to sit and eat soup at someone's house. That said, for all I know you were planning on using those awesome durable plastic restaurant containers that are fairly watertight and then putting that in a plastic bag (becuase again with running children) ;)

    Never mind that you have no idea how active the children actually are. It isn't exactly unusual for parents to be shuttling their kids around to sports practices.

    I do have those containers and the pint size version from another vendor. They are my preferred storage container.

    But But But BPA.

    Don't worry. I get mine with extra BPA.

    giphy.gif
  • Carlos_421
    Carlos_421 Posts: 5,132 Member
    Ima pass out gifs to all the trick or treaters.
    source.gif
  • SuzySunshine99
    SuzySunshine99 Posts: 2,983 Member
    S'possed to be raw, windy, with a rain/snow mix here on Halloween.
    I guess a lot of kids in my neighborhood will be saved from the obesity crisis after all.
    And I'm going to have a lot of leftover gummi bears.
    Wonder if I can make gummi soup....?