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Eight Tips for a Healthier Halloween

Healthyroads Encourages Families to Substitute Healthier Foods and Toys as Halloween 'Treats' to Help Kids Reduce Sugar Overload

SAN DIEGO, Oct. 9, 2008 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- For many Americans, the scariest part of Halloween can be getting on the scales after all the treats have been eaten. But Halloween no longer has to be a tradition of overindulgence, says Healthyroads, Inc., the wellness subsidiary of leading personal health improvement company American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH). With roughly 32 percent of children overweight, 16 percent obese and 11 percent extremely obese, parents should seek out healthier ways to celebrate Halloween. Healthyroads offers the following eight tips to provide a healthier, happier Halloween:

 1. Forgo the usual trick or treating and instead celebrate the night
    with an old-fashioned Harvest or Halloween party. For example:
    * Invite the neighborhood kids over for a costume party that offers
      prizes for the funniest and most original costumes.
    * Play fun games like bobbing for apples and
      "pin-the-face-on-the-Jack-o-lantern."
    * Conduct a pumpkin carving contest, with parents and kids working
      in teams. Award prizes for the best Jack-o-lanterns.
    * Serve healthy snacks like hot apple cider, pumpkin seeds, apple
      slices and low fat fig cookies.

 2. Give the neighborhood kids healthy treats or treat alternatives,
    such as:
    * Small juice boxes or apple cider and sugar-free hot chocolate
      packets
    * Unsalted almonds, sunflower seeds or trail mix
    * Sugar-free hard candies or sugar-free bubble gum
    * Pretzels, oatmeal bars or fig bars
    * Glow sticks and glow necklaces
    * Halloween stickers and wash-off tattoos
    * Crayons, colored pencils, erasers, and miniature coloring books

 3. If your kids do go trick or treating, feed them a hearty meal
    first and make sure they brush their teeth before going out. This
    will help limit their cravings to snack while out and about.

 4. Say no to oversized collection bags. For kids under the age of 5,
    a 12- inch bag is plenty big. For older kids, say no to oversized
    bags such as pillow cases, shopping bags or plastic trash bags
    that reinforce overindulgence.

 5. Set limits on the number of daily sweets. Let kids choose two
    pieces of candy a day, then put the treat bag away. Freeze mini
    chocolate bars and candies to provide small indulgences long
    after Halloween is over.

 6. Pair treats with healthy snacks. Require your kids to pair each
    sweet treat with a healthy snack - i.e., a small candy bar with
    an apple. If they eat the apple first, they may be less hungry
    for the treat, and they learn healthier eating habits.

 7. Pair treats with exercise. Have your child agree that for each
    sugary treat he eats, he'll ride his bike, jump rope, play
    basketball or swim for a half hour sometime before the end of the
    day. This will burn off calories and the sugar rush kids can get
    from candy.

 8. Barter. Offer your child a bike ride, trip to the park or day at
    the beach in exchange for each candy they will "sell" you. That
    way they learn that there are better, more rewarding choices they
    can make instead of eating candy.

Making Halloween a fun and healthy tradition takes a little extra effort and planning on your part, but it sure beats having an unhealthy scare when you or your kids step on the scales.

American Specialty Health Incorporated (ASH) is the nation's premier personal health improvement organization providing clinical benefits, fitness programs, health coaching and incentives, and worksite wellness programs to health plans, insurance carriers, employer groups, and trust funds nationwide. Based in San Diego, ASH has over 600 employees and covers more than 13.4 million members. For more information, visit ASH online at www.ASHCompanies.com or call 800-848-3555.

CONTACT:  Kevin/Ross Public Relations
          Lisa Freeman 
          818-597-8453