Fun with math, Halloween style

How hard you need to exercise the candy off

By Jessica Corey-Butler on November 1, 2007

Here’s something to nibble on: that sweet morsel of Halloween candy that you just popped into your mouth had somewhere between 70 to 90 calories, if it was a snack-sized thing. That little bag that you thought was a healthier choice — the peanut M&Ms, since peanuts are a source of protein — scores the 90-calorie award, while one Nestle Crunch snack bar nets you just 70.

Who knew?

But before you go about gobbling up the whole bag o’ goodies snatched out of the hands of some wee one, remember that those 70-calorie bites add up and become those unsightly lumps and bulges that show up exactly where you don’t want them.

So think about this math, as you consider activities to keep the extra calories from adding up to extra pounds:

It’ll take you, a hypothetical 150 pound individual, 15 minutes of leisurely bike riding to burn 85 calories. You can jog and walk 15 minutes for the same 85 calories or boost it up to 90 calories if you walk a 4.5-mph pace. Running at 7 mph, a 8.5-minute mile, will burn two 90-calorie bars in a 15-minute timeframe, though you might want to try to sustain an 8.5-minute mile for 15 minutes before you scarf too much of the sweet stuff.