Skip to main content
ARS Home » Plains Area » Houston, Texas » Children's Nutrition Research Center » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #316743
Title: Candy consumption patterns, effects on health, and behavioral strategies to promote moderation: Summary report of a roundtable discussion

Author
item DUYFF, ROBERTA - Duyff Associates
item BIRCH, LEANN - University Of Georgia
item BYRD-BREDBENNER, CAROL - Rutgers University
item JOHNSON, SUSAN - University Of Colorado
item MATTES, RICHARD - Purdue University
item MURPHY, MARY - Exponent
item NICKLAS, THERESA - Children'S Nutrition Research Center (CNRC)
item ROLLINS, BRANDI - Pennsylvania State University
item WANSINK, BRIAN - Cornell University

Submitted to: Advances in Nutrition
Publication Type: Review Article
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/15/2014
Publication Date: 1/15/2015
Citation: Duyff, R.L., Birch, L.L., Byrd-Bredbenner, C., Johnson, S.L., Mattes, R.D., Murphy, M.M., Nicklas, T.A., Rollins, B.Y., Wansink, B. 2015. Candy consumption patterns, effects on health, and behavioral strategies to promote moderation: Summary report of a roundtable discussion. Advances in Nutrition. 6:S139-S146.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: Nearly all Americans (97%) report eating candy at least once per year; yet, on a given day, only approximately one-fourth of the US population aged equal to or greater than 2 years consumes candy. Among all Americans, candy contributes a relatively small proportion of calories, added sugars, and saturated fat to the total diet, and recent research suggests that current levels of candy consumption are not associated with risk of weight gain and cardiovascular disease in children and adults. Providing guidance for the consumption of candy in moderation requires an understanding of various behavioral health-related factors that influence candy consumption. A roundtable of behavioral nutrition experts, researchers, and nutrition educators met to discuss recent data on intakes of candy, health outcomes associated with usual candy intake, and the impact of behavioral strategies, including restriction, education, and environmental awareness, on modifying eating behaviors to achieve moderate intakes of candy. Restricting access to palatable foods, whether self-imposed or by parental control, may have potentially negative consequences. Techniques and insight into how to adopt "moderation" in candy consumption, from effective parental practices to environmental strategies that facilitate behavior change without a high degree of effort, were identified as important next steps toward sustainable dietary guidance related to the role of candy and other treats in a healthy lifestyle.