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With Halloween less than a day away, the kids are probably bouncing off the walls with excitement to don their costumes and head out to collect their trick-or-treat loot. However, not to be a party pooper, but there are things to consider with a obesity rate triple that of what it was just ten years ago and cavities among children increasing for the first time in 40 years. You and the kids can still enjoy Halloween, just heed the following tips for the American Dental Assocation and health experts.

  1. Fill up before heading out to trick-or-treat. If kids have a full tummy before heading out to collect candy, they will be less likely to gorge on the treats in their bags. Based on the nutrition labels of snack size candy, the average child collects 7,000 calories worth of candy on Halloween night. If your child eats healthy most of the year, then it doesn't matter so much if you let them have a splurge on Halloween and a few days afterwards…the key is moderation.
  2. Walk around to houses instead of driving your kids door-to-door. It's easy to fit exercise into your kids' routine (and your own) by walking with them door-to-door to collect their candy.
  3. Keep your favorite treats and hide the rest, or give them away. Nutritionists suggest that you allow kids 1-3 pieces of candy per day. The rest of the candy can go in the freezer so it isn't easily consumable and out of sight. Parents should also be careful about their candy consumption, too, since they may be at home longer than children that are away at school for most of the day. Also consider having your children separate their candy into two piles; one that they want to keep and the other to donate to a local senior center or food pantry.

Enjoy trick-or-treating with your children tomorrow night and be safe!

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