Halloween Candy Leave a comment and let us know how you handle Halloween candy in YOUR household. BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Oct. 30 (UPI) -- The average U.S. child collects between 3,500 and 7,000 calories from candy on Halloween night, a public heath expert estimates. Donna Arnett, head of the department of epidemiology at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Public Health, said a 100-pound child who consumed 7,000 calories would have to walk for nearly 44 hours or play full-court basketball for 14.5 hours to burn those calories. "Though Halloween alone is not going to be a major overall contributor to our children's health, any behaviors they learn can have an effect," Arnett said in a statement. Nearly 17 percent of U.S. children and teens ages 2-19 are obese and 31 percent are overweight or obese, Arnett said.