Study: Eating Candy May Prevent Childhood Obesity

Don’t let the kids hear about this one, Mom: a new study from researchers at Louisiana State University suggests that kids who eat candy are less likely to be obese than their candy-shunning peers. CBSNews.com reports that while sweets are often blamed for making kids overweight, the study, which followed 11,000 kids ages 2 to 18 over five years, found that the kids with a sweet tooth were 22 percent less likely to be overweight or obese than kids who didn’t eat candy. The difference was more dramatic among teens, where those who ate candy were 26 percent less likely to be overweight or obese than those sourpusses who didn’t indulge.

Plus: A Surprising Cause of Childhood Obesity

Besides being less likely to be overweight, the candy-eating kids also had lower levels of C-reactive protein in their blood, indicating a reduced chance of inflammation in the body, heart disease, and other chronic illnesses. Of course, these study results don’t mean that doctors are giving parents the green light to pump their kids full of bonbons, but you can feel a little less guilty about letting your kids indulge in moderation.

Plus: Best and Worst Halloween Candy

Will you let your kids eat more candy after hearing about this study?