Health
Halloween candy overload: 5 ways to keep kids from overindulging
Halloween is a fun-filled holiday that’s best known for the deluge of candy.
Between trick-or-treating and Halloween parties, it can be tough to moderate kids’ intake of sweets and treats.
In an interview with Fox News Digital, Dr. Dyan Hes, medical director at Corcorde Pediatrics of Northwell Health in New York City, shared that while she’s a “big fan of candy,” Halloween is a great time to practice “everything in moderation.”
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Hes specializes in pediatric obesity medicine. She said families that are overly strict about candy consumption can lead to kids sneaking “forbidden food.”
To allow kids to still have fun while keeping Halloween relatively healthy, Hes offered a number of tips.
Between trick-or-treating and Halloween parties, it can be tough to moderate kids’ intake of sweets and treats, experts say. (iStock)
1. Set candy limits
Parents should make a plan with their kids, Hes said, which could include choosing how many pieces of candy they can have on Halloween night and at parties.
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The American Heart Association recommends that kids don’t consume more than 25 grams of added sugar per day.
That’s the equivalent of about four to five mini Milky Ways, three fun-size Snickers or three bags of M&Ms, according to registered dietitian nutritionist Ilana Muhlstein.
Setting a candy limit will encourage kids to “prioritize their favorite candies, eat them more slowly and savor them more mindfully,” a nutritionist said. (iStock)
“Knowing there’s a clear and fair allotment ahead of time will minimize any friction later on,” the Los Angeles-based expert told Fox News Digital.
“It will also encourage them to prioritize their favorite candies, eat them more slowly and savor them more mindfully,” she went on.
“It’s a great opportunity to demonstrate moderation and balance.”
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Once Halloween is over, store the remaining candy out of sight and offer one or two pieces as a treat in the coming days, Hes suggested.
2. Incorporate balanced meals
Before taking kids trick-or-treating, serve nutritious foods like veggies, protein, fiber and healthy fats, said Muhlstein.
“For breakfast, you might want to forgo the sweeter option like pancakes and syrup [in favor of] a more savory meal like eggs and avocado toast, so that the day’s sugar allotment isn’t exceeded before the kids go trick-or-treating,” she said.
One expert encouraged adding healthy “color” to the Halloween treats table, such as tangerines, carrots or cheddar cheese for the color orange. (iStock)
For dinner, she recommended a nutritious yet festive meal, such as turkey-stuffed peppers that look like jack-o-lanterns, or chickpea pasta and meat sauce with veggie sticks on the side.
“This will help the kids feel full, balance their blood sugar levels, improve their energy and reduce the likelihood of overindulging in candy later on,” Muhlstein said.
3. Foster healthy decision-making
Instead of putting strict limits on Halloween fun, parents should foster healthier decision-making, experts say.
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Muhlstein encouraged parents to broaden the definition of “treats,” as the excitement of eating candy is “very short-lived.”
Other ways to celebrate Halloween include giving out pretzels, crackers, trinkets, coins, stickers, temporary tattoos or other prizes.
Instead of parents putting strict limits on Halloween fun, fostering healthier decision-making will go a long way, experts say. (iStock)
“It’s a great way to help your kids foster a healthy relationship with the holidays, so they see that there are more ways to treat yourself and celebrate, beyond food,” Muhlstein said.
4. Encourage movement and non-candy activities
Muhlstein suggested activities that involve movement instead of eating candy, like a themed freeze dance party, scavenger hunt or DIY art project.
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“You can print out Halloween coloring sheets or set up a fashion show for everyone to act out their Halloween costume,” she said.
Alternative celebrations can help prevent the risks of overindulging in sweets, experts say. (iStock)
“This creates a lifelong appreciation for Halloween that becomes less about the sweets and more about the costumes, decorating and time spent with family and friends.”
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Alternative celebrations like these also help prevent the risks of overindulging in sweets, including upset stomachs, hyperactivity and cavities, she added.
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Consistently eating unhealthy foods can also lead to long-term health effects, like pediatric obesity, which is a “huge crisis” in America, according to Hes.
“It leads to diabetes, heart disease, joint problems and worsening asthma,” she warned, along with depression and anxiety.
5. Get rid of extra candy
For some families who have trouble controlling the amount of candy consumption, Hes’ solution is simple.
“If you can’t control it and your children are not going to respect the rules … then you’ll have to get rid of the candy,” she advised.
Bringing extra candy to work or donating it can help cut down on excess consumption. (iStock)
Muhlstein proposed the “Switch Witch” tradition, where kids can trade their excess candy for a toy, book, cash or another non-food reward, such as a trip to the movies.
Instead of tossing candy in the trash, Hes suggested bringing it to work or donating it.
“You can send your candy to the troops serving abroad, or some dentists collect the candy [and] you get a reward … for returning it,” she said.
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Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27.
In a post on Substack titled “The Day I’ll Never Remember,” she detailed a sudden episode that left her unable to recall the current month, year and president.
“I thought it was 2024. And I believed Joe Biden was president,” she wrote.
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The event occurred while Couric was attending the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado, during which she participated in two public panels — one on AI and one on journalism — both of which she cannot remember at all.
“I have no idea what we talked about, or of what occurred when the panels ended,” she said.
Journalist Katie Couric is sharing a scary medical episode that she experienced on June 27. (Getty Images)
John Molner — Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels — also shared his account.
After the event, someone told Molner that Katie wasn’t feeling well. When he reached her, an EMT and a doctor were tending to her. “I could tell something was off,” he wrote. “It could have been altitude sickness, but Katie was definitely not all there.”
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At the hospital, when Couric struggled to recall the year, the president and her grandchildren’s names, doctors began checking for a stroke.
An MRI revealed no signs of stroke, which was a relief, but “Katie’s ‘fog’ became a lot more apparent,” Molner wrote.
John Molner, Couric’s husband, who was in attendance at the festival and the two panels, also shared his account. (Getty Images)
“She repeatedly asked me the same questions: ‘What was I doing before we got to the hospital?’ ‘Why am I at the hospital?’”
Couric was ultimately diagnosed with transient global amnesia, a sudden, temporary episode of memory loss that prevents a person from forming new memories and may also erase some recent memories, according to Mayo Clinic.
“The cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself.”
It is not caused by a stroke, seizure or head injury, and it usually resolves completely within 24 hours.
“[It’s] just a very weird neural episode that’s pretty uncommon and, at least in most cases, is a ‘one and done’ experience,” Molner said.
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Couric said she finally began feeling “like herself” again around 9 p.m. and went to sleep at 2 a.m.
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.”
As TGA leaves a “permanent gap in memory” for the duration of the episode and for hours beforehand, Couric said that from around noon on that day until at least 7 p.m. will remain a “big, black hole.” (Getty Images)
Data shows that approximately three to eight people per 100,000 will have an episode of transient global amnesia, with people 50 years of age and older at higher risk.
The specific cause of TGA is not known, but some experts believe it stems from a “temporary dysfunction in the brain’s hippocampus — the area responsible for creating new memories,” Couric shared.
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“Doctors believe this is driven by brief interruptions in blood or oxygen flow, or microscopic spasm in the blood vessels.”
Episodes could potentially be triggered by intense physical exertion, emotional distress, extreme temperature changes or migraines, experts say.
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Approximately 15% of patients will have a recurrence 10 years later.
“Why did this happen to me? Was the altitude an issue? Was I dehydrated? Tired? Stressed? The literature doesn’t seem to indicate that these are contributing factors, but the cause seems to be as mysterious as the brain itself,” Couric wrote.
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise. (iStock)
“All I know is that those hours will be forever lost. Someone described it as my brain failing to hit the ‘record button.’”
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“While this was a freaky occurrence, it could have been much more serious. So ultimately, I’m relieved — even though several hours of a Saturday in June will always be missing for me.”
Anyone who experiences sudden memory loss, confusion, difficulty speaking, weakness, numbness, vision changes, severe headache or other stroke-like symptoms should seek immediate medical attention or call 911, doctors advise.
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Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers.
That’s according to a recent study led by Stony Brook Medicine in New York, which evaluated the cognitive function of 4,000 adults 80 and over who participated in multiple aging and longevity studies over several years.
Among this group, 6% to 10% were classified as super movers, which means they walk at a much faster pace than others of the same age and gender — at speeds comparable to people three decades younger.
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The super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed.
The findings were published in the journal Neurology on June 16.
Older adults identified as “super movers” are about half as likely to develop cognitive impairment than their peers. (iStock)
“The study reinforces that mobility and brain health are closely connected,” lead study author Dr. Joe Verghese, MD, neurologist at Stony Brook Medicine, told Fox News Digital. “This suggests that preserving mobility may be an important marker of healthy brain aging and resilience.”
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The most intriguing finding, according to Verghese, was that super movers maintained cognitive function despite having similar dementia-related brain changes as their peers.
In postmortem brain analysis, there was no difference in dementia-related pathologies between the super movers and the slower walkers, the study stated.
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“This suggests they may possess resilience mechanisms that help preserve brain function even in the presence of age-related changes,” he said. “Understanding these resilience factors could lead to new strategies for promoting healthy brain aging.”
As the study was observational, there were some limitations, and it does not prove that walking faster prevents dementia, the researchers noted.
Super movers were found to have about half the risk of cognitive decline compared to seniors with typical gait speed. (iStock)
“Other factors, such as cardiovascular health, physical fitness or genetics, may also contribute to both faster walking and better cognitive outcomes,” Verghese said.
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This study adds to growing evidence that what’s good for the heart and muscles also benefits the brain, he noted, adding that “staying physically active remains one of the most effective, evidence-based ways to support healthy aging.”
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment.”
“The broader message is that physical activity is important at any age,” Verghese said. “Walking is an easy step-up point because you don’t need any special equipment. You can do it inside or outdoors, and you can do it on a regular basis. You can walk with a dog, you can walk with a friend.”
Any activity is beneficial if it’s done regularly and with the right intensity, he added.
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Rather than just trying to walk faster, the neurologist recommends that seniors focus on maintaining mobility through regular physical activity, strength training, balance exercises and good cardiovascular health.
“Walking speed is best viewed as a marker of overall health, not a treatment,” Verghese noted.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking.
Major public health guidelines from the CDC and U.S. Physical Activity Guidelines recommend at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, such as brisk walking. (iStock)
This can be achieved by walking 30 minutes a day, five days a week, or about 20 to 25 minutes most days. Another option is to engage in shorter sessions that add up over the day.
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“You have to do it within your health limitations and medical conditions,” Verghese advised. “So if there are any medical concerns, I would get your physician to clear you before starting exercise.” The good thing about walking, he added, is that you can start at a slow pace and then gradually build up to a brisker pace.
“And then adding on strength and balance training, whatever age you are, I think is also important.”
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