Halloween Hyperactivity: Is Sugar Really the Culprit

It’s that time of year again: with hints of fall in the air, Halloween is just around the corner. You’re probably hearing from your kids about how much candy they’re going to score while trick-or-treating and what costume they are going to wear. But as a parent, you might be thinking about the aftermath of all that sugar.

Surely you want your kids to have fun and enjoy the candy they hiked around the neighborhood to find. What you don’t want is for them to eat so much candy they get belly aches and vow never to eat another Butterfinger.

As a pediatric clinical dietitian at Tallahassee Memorial HealthCare (TMH), I work with families to ensure their children receive the nutrition they need to heal and thrive.

As you prepare costumes and candy buckets, I’m here to share the truth about sugar. Do kids become more hyper the more sugar they ingest? Or is it all a myth?

The Sugar and Hyperactivity Myth

In 1982, the National Institutes of Health declared there is no scientifically proven link between sugar consumption and hyperactivity. Why, then, does this myth persist?

Most of it may be psychological. Research has shown that parents who believe in a link between sugar and hyperactivity see one, while others do not.

Another explanation is that children tend to be more excited at events where sugary foods are usually available, like birthdays and Halloween parties. People may have confused proximity with correlation while the environment is more likely to blame than the food.

However, that doesn’t mean parents should allow children to overindulge in sweets.

Although sugar may not be correlated with hyperactivity, it is linked to major health complications. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, eating too much sugar can lead to:

• Obesity
• Type 2 diabetes
• Fatty liver
• Tooth decay
• Heart disease
• High blood pressure
• High cholesterol
• Other health problems

On average, 17% of children’s diets are made up of added sugar, according to the American Society of Pediatrics. Half of that is from sugary beverages.

How Much Sugar is Too Much Sugar?

The 2015 - 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans and the World Health Organization warn of the dangers of added sugars. They recommend that people aged 2 years and older have no more than 10% of their daily calories come from added sugar. For example, if a toddler is consuming 1,200 calories per day, no more than 120 calories should come from added sugars.

Added sugars are considered sugars or syrups that are added to foods or beverages with processing or preparation and excludes naturally occurring sugars found in fruit and milk.

“Children are developing eating habits and taste preferences that will last a lifetime,” said Rachel K. Johnson, a professor of nutrition and pediatrics at the University of Vermont in Burlington. “The sooner families begin to limit the amount of added sugars in their diets, the better.” 

How to Include Sugar in a Balanced Diet

The good news is that your kiddos can still enjoy Halloween and fall festival treats while eating in a way that is considered healthy. Does that mean you can give them a dose of candy every day until the bowl runs dry? Not necessarily. However, it does mean it’s OK to indulge occasionally or weekly as long as a majority of their diet is filled with the good stuff.

For a healthy diet, your child should be consuming the following each day.

• 2-3 servings of veggies
• 2-3 servings of fruit
• 3 servings of dairy
• 5-6 servings of lean protein
• 6-7 servings of mostly whole grains

If there is room left in their little bellies for the occasional sweet treat, go for it! Just don’t exceed the recommended amount of 25 grams (6 teaspoons for about 100 calories) of added sugar per day for children 2 years and older. 

Reducing Your Child’s Sugar Intake

There are several things you can do to reduce the amount of added sugar in your child’s diet.

• Avoid offering beverages and foods with added sugars to children.
• Serve water or milk instead of soda, sweet tea, lemonade, sweetened coffee drinks and fruit-flavored drinks.
• Limit 100% juice to 4 ounces for children 1 - 3 years old, 4 - 6 ounces for children 4-6 years old and 8 ounces for children 7 - 14 years old.
• Keep an eye out for hidden food sources of sugar such as ketchup, dried fruit and baked beans.
• Beat sweet cravings by offering fruit in place of candy, other dessert foods and sugary beverages. 

The following is a list of common candies your kids may find while trick-or-treating or attending a fall festival, along with approximate serving sizes and added sugar content.

• Candy Corn, 19 pieces - 28 grams
• Hershey’s Kiss, 9 pieces - 23 grams
• Candy apple, 1 small - 17 grams
• Sweet Tarts, 8 pieces - 13 grams
• Gummy Bears, 17 pieces - 18 grams
• Red Vines, 4 vines - 16 grams
• Miniature Snickers, 1 package - 5 grams
• Butterfinger Bites, 1 package - 2 grams
• Miniature M&M’s, 1 package - 9 grams
• Miniature Milky Way, 1 package - 5 grams
• Starburst, 16 pieces - 16 grams
• Skittles, 1 mini pack - 11 grams

Halloween should be a fun time for kids to be kids, and there’s no denying sweets may be a part of that. Help them consume candy responsibly, and you’ll have a happy spooky season without compromising health. Stay safe and have a happy Halloween!

For more educational content like this, sign up for our Healthy Living newsletter. For resources related to pregnancy and early parenthood, register for our Sweet Peas Pregnancy & Parenting Club.

References

• Added Sugar in Kid’s Diets: How Much is Too Much? AAP News Website. March 25, 2019. 
  https://publications.aap.org/aapnews. Accessed September 7, 2022.
• Sugary Drink Overload: AAP-AHA Suggest Excise Tax to Reduce Consumption. AAP News Website. March 25, 2019. https://publications.aap.org/aapnews/news/14112. Accessed September 7, 2022.
• Does Sugar Really Make Children Hyper? Yale Scientific Website. September 1, 2010. 
  https://www.yalescientific.org/2010/09/mythbusters-does-sugar-really-make-children-hyper/. Accessed September 7, 2022.
• Normal Nutrition page. Pediatric Nutrition Care Manual Website. Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. Accessed September 7, 2022.
• Know Your Limit for Added Sugars. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Website. 
  https://www.cdc.gov/healthy-weight-growth/about/index.html?CDC_AAref_Val=https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/sugar.html. Accessed September 7, 2022.