Newswise — It's that time again. Witches, gosts, and maybe even Dora the Explorer, will go out trick-or-treating. Health wise, Halloween in itself is not all that bad. It's a pretty good community event, and even eating your favourite candies is alright. But when Halloween candies last until Christmas, you might want to start asking yourself a few questions.

This Halloween, Canadian Institutes of Health Research experts are giving tips and offering advice.

Experts:

Halloween treats for children! Tips to prevent obesity, diabetes and cavities Dr. Michael Kramer, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Human Development, Child and Youth Health (Montreal)

Halloween Day should be just that, a "day" : steady diet of too many empty calories can add pounds on children quicklyDr. Diane Finegood, Scientific Director of the CIHR Institute of Nutrition, Metabolism and Diabetes (Vancouver)

Your mother told you you'd end up on the dentist chair eating too many candies. What is too many?Dr. Richard P. Ellen, CIHR-funded researcher from the University of Toronto (Toronto)

Glow-in-the-dark yoghurt tubes, drink mixes that 'magically' change colour : how marketers appeal to kids with "food in disguise"Dr. Charlene Elliott, CIHR-funded researcher from Carleton University (Ottawa)

Dealing with Halloween in communities with high obesity rates Dr. Harriet Kuhnlein, CIHR-funded researcher from McGill University (Montreal)

The Canadian Institutes of Health Research (CIHR) is the Government of Canada's agency for health research. CIHR's mission is to create new scientific knowledge and to catalyze its translation into improved health, more effective health services and products, and a strengthened Canadian health-care system. Composed of 13 Institutes, CIHR provides leadership and support to more than 11,000 health researchers and trainees across Canada. http://www.cihr-irsc.gc.ca

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