I know some greedy kids, who would kill for an extra Snickers bar, but who knew their appetite for violence could be traced back to Halloween candy consumption?
According to Britain’s Economic and Social Research Council, daily candy consumption is linked to violent crime.
Translation: Kids, who hoard Halloween candy, and methodically eat a few pieces each day, have a higher propensity to be arrested for violent crimes than kids who devour their snack-sized candy bars in one sitting.
Researchers looked at more than 17,000, 10-year-old boys and girls born in 1970 who ate a couple pieces of candy each day for an entire year. According to the study, 69 percent of the children were arrested for violent crimes by the age of 34.
So does this mean that you should force your kids to hand over their Halloween loot hours after they return from trick-or-treating?
According to researchers, doing so will not necessarily prevent your kid from becoming a killer.
“It’s not that the sweets themselves are bad, it’s more about interpreting how kids make decisions,” one of the study’s authors noted.
Still, scientists point to notoriously violent outlaws, such as Adolf Hitler and serial killer Ted Bundy to back their research. Hitler allegedly consumed large amounts of chocolate, often to the exclusion of a balanced diet, during his tenure as a systematic murderer. Likewise, Bundy reportedly had an insatiable sweet tooth.
Critics of the candy killer study say that while the results of the research are interesting, they require more investigation. What’s more, health experts advise parents that it is better to teach kids to consume candy in moderation over a long period of time rather than allow them to gorge on sweet treats in one sitting.
This, of course, begs the question: Are you the type of parent who sets a limit on Halloween candy consumption?
In addition, do you set an expiration date on Halloween candy?
Our family rule states that all uneaten Halloween candy gets pitched the day before Thanksgiving.
What’s the rule at your house?
Related Articles:
Halloween, the Economy and Your Family
Do Your Teens Still Go Trick-or-Treating?
Parental Bargaining on Halloween
Parents Who Don’t Give Out Candy on Halloween
Halloween Candy Competition Among Parents
Halloween Candy-Yours, Mine, Ours
Parents and Halloween: Scary Stuff!
Halloween and Young Children: Trick or Treat?