Watch How to Have a Healthy, Not Haunted Halloween Online

iReport — Description by: Connie Bennett - author of the book SUGAR SHOCK! Why is Halloween a Spooky Sugar Overload Day? Why are people “forgetting” that American kids are heavier than ever? Can Halloween be fun without all the sugar?“Halloween can be a fun, but healthy holiday. It doesn’t have to be a Sugar Overload Day,” insists journalist, health counselor and former sugar addict Connie Bennett, author of the book SUGAR SHOCK! How Sweets and Simple Carbs Can Derail Your Life—And How You Can Get Back on Track. (www.SugarShock.com)Learn some Spooky Stats about America’s darkest holiday and obesity:•           Americans are expected to spend about $1.89 billion (nearly $2 billion) for candies. (That’s less than the $2.12 billion projected for costume sales. In all, Americans will fork over an estimated $6 billion for Halloween goodies, according to industry research firm IBISWorld.) •           On Halloween, everyone “forgets” that about one third of American children and teens are overweight or obese.•           Children’s obesity in the United States has soared by a whopping 100 percent between 1980 and the mid-1990s.•           Being overweight can lead to serious health problems for youngsters, including diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels and orthopedic problems.•           Children who weight too much also tend to suffer from low self-esteem.On or Around Halloween (“Sugar Overload Day,” according to Bennett):•           “Halloween may turn your kids into `Sugar Brats,’” predicts Bennett, noting that the average youngster will wolf down roughly 10 to 50 teaspoons of sugar and 300 to 600 or more calories. In the days or weeks that follow, the typical kid pigs out on leftover candies, too.•           Many of the candies passed out on Halloween are full of sugar and corn syrup, as well as sodium and dye. (For instance, eating ...