Candy-Obsessed Nation?

As someone who has been seduced by candies galore — to the point of having my health comprised — and who now helps sugar addicts worldwide Break Free of their addiction, I found this New York Times article by Julia Moskin about candy and the Candy Professor quite compelling.

How fascinating that this professor, Samira Kawash, is so intrigued — or shall I say obsessed — about the subject of candy.

But, let's face it — add a self-mocking chuckle here — you could also say the same thing about me given that I've written an entire book (extensively researched, too) about sugar (Sugar Shock) and am now writing my next book (Beyond Sugar Shock)!

Sure, go ahead, laugh with me, because I'm offering  this "candy obession confession," if you will, by playfully poking fun of myself in a good-natured, now-knowing, self-deprecating tone.

I even invite you to check out this cartoon I commissioned a few years back to make light of my former, over-the-top red licorice habit. (Please note that this is an exaggeration. I never cowered in closets with my bags of red licorice.)

But let me ask you this: What made this Candy Professor, Yours Truly and millions of candy-chomping, overweight, obese or evern average-weight Americans so intensely interested in sugar-loaded candies of all flavors and sizes?

Clearly, if we were living in the 1700s or 1800s, we wouldn't be so fascinatinated by candies or sugar, for that matter, because it wasn't available in such over-abundance?

Bags and bags of candies are overrunning us, fattening us up and making us and our kids sick, especially at this harrowing time of year, Halloween week, the Season of Sugar Shock.

By the way, did you kow that there's an organization, the National Confectioners Association (www.candyusa.com), that is dedicated to spreading information about sweets and snacks and "fostering industry growth," as you can listen here. (You'll learn, for instance, about the current economic sea changes, the "lens of affordability" and shopping stats.)

The NCA even uncovered a a new study, that finds Candy Consumption Not Associated with Negative Health Outcomes. Excuse me, but how many people do you know who can eat only small amounts of candies? Moderate candy eaters are the exception, not the rule. So I wouldn't pay attention to this conclusion.

What it comes down to is that we are Candy-Obsessed Nation — make that world — because of a variety of reasons.

1. You cannot hide from candies. It's almost ubiquitous. o matter where you go, from drug stores to grocery stores to even hospitals, you'll find machines and people, all to happy to dispense huge amounts of the stuff to anyone of any age. There's no carding you if you want to buy sugary "treats."
2. Candies are easily and quickly manufactured. Since we're products of this technological age, nutrient-lacking candies of all sizes, shapes and flavors using lots of sugar, particularly high fructose corn syrup, are produced at warp speed, especially for this most scary night and week of the year, Halloween and beyond.

Check out the fascinating New York Times article now.

Speaking of candies, you have to read the blog from my friend, the self-described "candy addict/journalst" Dana Kennedy, A Year Without Candy. (It's quite the compelling read.)

And now a word for our conscience — not our sponsor. Before you start chomping on candies during this Season of Sugar Shock, ask yourself what you're really seeking. Do you want candies or are you just yearning for joy, excitement, love and fun?