Colman Noctor: Scary pile of treats undermine our children's health 

‘Bigger is better’ promotions distort children’s concepts of how much is too much

"I was asked to get involved in the START initiative because parents, when surveyed, said they did not need information about the nutritional values of certain foods but advice on how to encourage their children to make healthy choices and discourage overconsumption of foods of little or no nutritional value." Picture: iStock 

Colman Noctor

CHILD PSYCHOTHERAPIST

I struggle with the Halloween trick-or-treat ritual. The stuffed bags of sweets and chocolates my children bring home are a testament to the generosity of our neighbours but it’s difficult to talk about healthy eating when your child is holding fistfuls of goodies.