Halloween candy sales are spooky!

It's Halloween time.

And it's fairly obvious that Americans are not changing their preferred treat: candy.

According to the National Retail Federation, American consumers are expected to spend $1.55 billion on candy for this Halloween celebration. That amounts to an average of $19.84 per person this year compared to $18.72 in 2006. Three-fourths of consumers surveyed said they were planning on distributing candy this year.

Besides the obvious risk for the development of cavities that might occur from this onslaught of sugar, the added calories for children is also a concern. Desipite a childhood obesity epidemic, as a nation we do not have a full grasp of the impact of childhood obesity and type 2 diabetes in youth, as this is still being "studied."

I urge you to consider healthy alternatives this Halloween like apples, pretzels, etc. HealthCentral's site Foodfit.com is a great resource for ideas. You may not be the most popular house on the street but one that promotes healthy eating styles.