Health: A Sugar-Free Halloween?

Who are these killjoys, arriving at the same time as the trick-or-treaters? Why, they're the anti-sugar brigade, warning that plain old table sugar and its gussied up first cousins--honey, molasses, cane sugar, corn syrup and maple syrup--are less than sweet to those who overindulge, and recommending that we stop eating sugar altogether. Two new books, New York Times best seller Dr. Gott's No Flour, No Sugar Diet and Sugar Shock! by Connie Bennett (out in December), caution that the U.S's love affair with sugar is a doomed relationship. (To add insult to injury, the authors also damn simple carbs such as bagels and French bread as almost equally empty calories.)

Why the dire advice? Because, say the authors, sugar is the fast track to obesity and related ailments such as diabetes, coronary-artery disease, hypertension, high-blood cholesterol and certain kinds of cancer. Besides, as your dentist will happily tell you, you'll be in the dentist's chair more often because sugar (as your mother said) rots your teeth. And if that weren't bad enough, the authors warn of sugar-induced psychological problems like depression and listlessness.

Anti-sugar activists have had some success, at least at the bookstore. The granddaddy of the genre, Sugar Blues by William Dufty, came out in 1975 and flew to No. 1 on the best-sellers list. Sugar Busters, which became a publishing phenomenon in 1995, boasts more than 5 million copies in print.

Although their strict sugarless remedies may be too severe for the average sweet tooth, those Cassandras are, alas, telling the truth. Contrary to popular belief, there is no Recommended Daily Allowance for sugar, and sweet stuff is not a food group. A person can live a long life--perhaps a longer one--without ever eating another spoonful. And it's certainly not necessary for the average American to gobble down more than 140 lbs. of sweeteners a year--a little more than three-quarters of a cup a day.

The authors favor the all-or-nothing approach used by organizations like Alcoholics Anonymous because of its simplicity. The alcoholic who can learn to drink socially, or the chain-smoker who can puff occasionally, is a rare bird. Dieters can't entirely give up food, of course, but they can draw an uncompromising line when it comes to sugar.

So if you're ready to take the sugar-free plunge, how do you do it? The authors' recommendations are diet classics: more fruits and vegetables, whole grains, lean proteins and plenty of exercise. Gott likes artificial sweeteners like Sweet 'N Low; Bennett hates them. But whatever you do, stay away from the Halloween goody bags.