Candy Craze: A Look at Sweets and Our Economy

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the popularity of candy and sweets in relation to economic conditions and personal consumption habits. Participants explore whether candy consumption increases during economic downturns, share personal experiences with sweets, and reflect on the cultural significance of candy stores and related media.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants suggest that candy consumption may rise during tough economic times as a form of comfort or reward.
  • Others express a personal decline in sweet cravings, attributing it to age or dietary changes.
  • A few participants note a lack of awareness regarding trends in candy consumption, citing personal seclusion or dietary preferences.
  • There are observations about the impact of media, particularly food shows, on the perception and popularity of candy.
  • Some participants reflect on the decline of local candy shops and the challenges they face in a struggling economy.
  • One participant hypothesizes that the taboo nature of sugar may enhance its appeal, likening it to the concept of forbidden fruit.
  • Several participants share anecdotes about their own consumption habits, including preferences for savory snacks over sweets.
  • Concerns are raised about the health implications of sugar consumption, particularly among children.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on whether candy consumption increases during economic downturns, and multiple competing views remain regarding personal cravings and the impact of media on candy culture.

Contextual Notes

Some participants mention the influence of personal dietary choices and health considerations, which may affect their views on candy consumption. There are also references to economic conditions that may limit the viability of candy shops.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those exploring consumer behavior, the cultural significance of sweets, and the economic factors influencing local businesses in the food industry.

Evo
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I've noticed recently that candy has become a real craze with all kinds of large candy stores cropping up.

Does candy become more popular when the econmomy gets bad? I notice shows on it on tv more and more, like right now "Extreme candy" is on Food tv.

Kurdt loves his sweets, candy, pastries, and ice cream. He's eating pie right now.

I, on the other hand do not have a sweet tooth, and truth be told, I may eat a candy bar twice a year. I haven't had ice cream in over a year, and even then, I ate half of a soft serve low fat frozen yogurt.

So, do you have a sweet tooth? Do you crave sweets more when things go bad, or as a reward, or, like Kurdt, you're thin as a twig and can eat all of the sweets you want all day long and never gain weight?
 
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I find the older I get, the more I crave proteins. And veggies...lately I've been craving kale. Oh boy, I could go for some kale right now!

I almost never crave sweets. Even as a kid, I wasn't much into sweets.
 
Can't say that I've really noticed an increase in people eating sweets, but then again I have been a bit secluded from the outside world in a few ways. One being not watching a bit of television.

I've always had a sweet tooth, but recently it's definitely tapered off quite a bit. I used to love eating ice cream sandwiches, chocolate popsicles, and just straight ice cream. After eating very healthily over the past few years, I just haven't craved sweets like I used to. They offered ice cream sandwiches at the base galley the other day so I decided to grab one for dessert. It seemed as though it was almost too much sugar for me and ended up only eating about 2/3rds of it. Not sure if it's just me getting older or due to my diet, but I definitely don't pig out on sugar anymore. Now, a snickers is a sugar overload!
 
I don't really eat that much candy. I used to drink a lot of pop but I stopped doing that about a year ago... just drink water mostly now. I can't say that the economy going bad has really effected me on a personal level that I care about... so I guess I can't answer your question fully :p
 
I've also always had the metabolism of a hummingbird and could eat however much of anything I want and never gain an ounce. My friends used to joke around and tell me that if I didn't eat every two hours, i'd die from starvation.
 
Ugh, I'm watching another candy show, one tiny apple covered in a pound of candy, you can't even lift the thing with a stick, and you have to cut into it with a knife and fork.

Ok, the ones rolled in live maggots is much worse.
 
I haven't noticed any such trend. I actually miss the candy stores we used to have when I was a kid...especially around Christmas when we could buy bulk candy to make gingerbread houses. I like candy stores better than buying candy in grocery stores, because you can buy just a couple pieces and don't have to buy a whole package. But, that's probably why a lot of them closed...people didn't really buy as much as they hoped. Of course, I really prefer chocolate shops over candy stores, but a lot of them closed when the economy got bad.
 
I rarely eat sweets, I'm always eating potato chips. I only crave sweets when I am working behind the computer the whole day and need something to chew on. Last week I bought a bag full of chocolate, sweets and potato chips just to get myself through the day.

Last summer we did eat a lot of chocolate ice cream and since we don't have a freezer we had to finish it all in one go: half a liter each. We used to do that several times a week around 10 pm just before the stores closed :smile: I only gained a kilo in weight, I can basically eat all I want. I've decided that I'm going to stay clear of chocolate ice cream for a while though :rolleyes:
 
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Sugar and fat are more of a problem for children who can't make wise choices and for chocolate junkies like me.

Roughly 17 percent of school-age children are obese, triple the rate in 1980 rate and "an epidemic in the United States," says the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Obesity increases the risk of diabetes, heart disease, arthritis and other chronic illnesses.

http://www.reuters.com/article/domesticNews/idUSTRE52U88G20090331
 
  • #10
I noticed how some kids turn into 'instant ar****les' when fed sugar, and wondered if it had anything to do with the similar transformation of some adults who drink alcohol. It made me wonder whether sugar craving and a physical propensity for alcoholism share common cause.
 
  • #11
I think I ODed on chocolate today
 
  • #12
I have a hypothesis. Ever heard the old adage "sex sells"? With the increasing problems of obesity and diabetes, sugar has become more and more taboo. You can even see examples of sugar being promoted as "sinful" or "indulgent". It's the forbidden fruit phenomenon. Labeling something as taboo increases it's psychological appeal.
 
  • #13
Little companies have tried to open custom candy-shops in the county seat, to no avail. Their products are too expensive for the locals, and the "sucker season" is too short to let the tourists make up the difference.
 
  • #14
I guess it's the Food Tv that has all of these shows hyping the candy and sweets stores.
 
  • #15
Evo said:
I guess it's the Food Tv that has all of these shows hyping the candy and sweets stores.
I don't get those, so I don't know. I have some friends and loosely-related families that have tried to open sweet-shops, and they always die. I don't care how delectable your hand-dipped chocolates and double-rich fudges are...if your candies are much more expensive than commercially-packaged stuff, your store will crash.

This area has double-digit unemployment, and grinding poverty. Is there a market for candy stores that sell bon-bons for more than we might expect to pay for premium cuts of beef? Nope.
 
  • #16
turbo-1 said:
I don't get those, so I don't know. I have some friends and loosely-related families that have tried to open sweet-shops, and they always die. I don't care how delectable your hand-dipped chocolates and double-rich fudges are...if your candies are much more expensive than commercially-packaged stuff, your store will crash..
It just doesn't stop, another hour long show about candy and pastry shops.
 
  • #18
Evo said:
It just doesn't stop, another hour long show about candy and pastry shops.

Maybe they're running shows about candy because it's Halloween?
 
  • #19
I like candy, but I can live without it. I haven't had chocolate in so long I can't remember the last time I've had it. But I do like sweet stuff. I eat a lot of frozen fruit blended into an icy and now I'm hooked on these instant oatmeals. I don't know how they make them taste so good; the oatmeal I make never tastes that good.
 
  • #20
Moonbear said:
Maybe they're running shows about candy because it's Halloween?
Beginning of the holiday season, too. Probably November and December are the big months for home-made candies. I know they were in my family. Needhams, hand-dipped chocolates, fudge, turtles, peanut brittle...

I know it was expensive, but somehow my mother always managed to build a stockpile of home-made treats for the holidays AND keep us kids from eating them all so we'd have treats for guests.
 
  • #21
Autumn is most definitrely the season for candy, cookies and other baked goods. It's when people start staying indoors and turning their ovens on.
 
  • #22
No this goes on all year, I just noticed more shows on sweets this year, perhaps because I was home two months this summer after my surgery and watched more food tv. It was show after show about these candy shops, donut shops, muffins shops, all that made ridiculous creations.

I just wasn't aware that there was such a fad for these places.
 
  • #23
It is especially bad right now that it is treating time, however. Happy Halloween!
 
  • #24
Evo said:
No this goes on all year, I just noticed more shows on sweets this year, perhaps because I was home two months this summer after my surgery and watched more food tv. It was show after show about these candy shops, donut shops, muffins shops, all that made ridiculous creations.

I just wasn't aware that there was such a fad for these places.
It is also a factor of what TV networks are experimenting with. Notice the drop-off in Apprentice and Big Brother type shows, and the rise in retro sit-coms, for example.

Since the writer's strike, they've been hunting about to see what the next big thing is.
 
  • #25
SWEEEEEETS:!), I keep them everywhere “literally” just to ensure that I can have one whenever I want. but I’m worried that eating lots of them may affect my health, [STRIKE]I mean is there any organic sweets/candies that have no preservatives, food additives, colorings...etc, cause most of my candies [if not all] do have them :mad:[/STRIKE]

edit: better now!
 
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  • #26
drizzle said:
SWEEEEEETS:!), I keep them everywhere “literally” just to ensure that I can have one whenever I want. but I’m worried that eating lots of them may affect my health, I mean is there any organic sweets/candies that have no preservatives, food additives, colorings...etc, cause most of my candies [if not all] do have them :mad:

Yeah, it's the preservatives in candy that are affecting your health... :rolleyes:
 
  • #27
DaveC426913 said:
Yeah, it's the preservatives in candy that are affecting your health... :rolleyes:

Yeah, the sugar.
 
  • #28
There seemed to be quite a bit of pop-corn distribution this Halloween, which seems much healthier.
 
  • #29
I'm a fruits and vegetables fan.

I have a bag of sweets from Halloween but it's not getting eaten at all.
 
  • #30
JasonRox said:
I'm a fruits and vegetables fan.

I have a bag of sweets from Halloween but it's not getting eaten at all.

Best thing to do with all that Halloween candy: give it to coworkers (fellow students, in your case). That's what I do, and I figure two good things come of it: it makes my coworkers happy, and I get rid of it.

I spent a good part of today giving out candy. Anyone who came into my office got a Hershey bar :smile:.
 

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