Giving Overweight Children Halloween Candy Oudated?  A woman in North Dakota thinks so. She is giving out an overweight letter on Halloween to the parents of overweight children in lieu of candy. The overweight message  given out this Halloween has people rethinking giving out fatty and sugary candy with to overweight children while childhood obesity on the rise. The woman has had it with seeing the overweight children eating up 'addictive' junk treats and wants the parents to be more responsible with their overweight children.

The letter the North Dakota woman is giving out to overweight children reads:

"You child is, in my opinion, moderately obese and should not be consuming sugar and treats to the extent of some children this Halloween season."

"You [sic] child is, in my opinion, moderately obese and should not be consuming sugar and treats to the extent of some children this Halloween season.

"My hope is that you will step up as a parent and ration candy this Halloween and not allow your child to continue these unhealthy eating habits."

North Dakota State University assistant professor of clinical psychology Katie Gordon told Valley News Live in Fargo that the letter could be emotionally damaging saying

"It's just that kind of thing that for some kids, if they're vulnerable, might trigger major problems. Even if a child is overweight, they might be very healthy because of what they eat and how they exercise. It's ineffective anyway because it's not likely to help the kid."

David Smith, a cardiologist in Doylestown, Pa., says that he thinks the woman is doing good for obese children saying:

"I think it's a tough-love letter. Eating disorders are a problem but the magnitude of that risk just pales in comparison to obesity. Obesity in the last decade has taken over smoking as the leading health problem we face today."

"Giving candy to an obese child is like giving a cigarette to a person with emphysema," Smith says. "It is giving a drink to an alcoholic. It is giving heroin to a drug addict."

Martin Hogan, division director of dentistry at Loyola University Health System near Chicago is not as worried about obesity as children's teeth. He says:

-- Bubble gum or candy-coated gumballs are what kids like to chew and they bathe the teeth in continuous sugar. Sticky bubble gum can also loosen fillings or other dental apparatus. "Choose a gum made with xylitol to actually improve dental health as the ingredient discourages dental decay. Xylitol is a plant-based natural substance with no chemicals or harmful side effects.

-- Caramel or caramel-based candy not only coats teeth with a sugary wash but the chewy, sticky confection wedges in between teeth and stays there, promoting tooth decay. Instead, Hogan preferred Halloween-shaped wax items such as oversized lips or mustaches. Wax lips, glow sticks, bouncey balls and washable tattoos offer terrific holiday appeal with no harmful health side effects.

-- Gummy bears, worms and other fun shapes may be cute, but they also stick in teeth and can cause decay. Hogan suggested individual-sized character-shaped cheese or graham crackers.

-- Banana, grape and cherry taffy is no laughing matter when it sticks in the teeth and causes cavities, but small packages of pumpkin or sunflower seeds or peanuts taste good and do not promote dental decay.

What do you think of the letter? Is it doing more harm than good?