British researchers found kids who eat candy every day may end up as criminals. Credit: D Sharon Pruitt, Flickr

Some researchers in Great Britain warn the scariest thing this Halloween might be the kid with a bag full of candy and a wicked gleam in his eyes.

Conclusions of a study funded by Britain's Economic and Social Research Council were just published in the October edition of the British Journal of Psychiatry: Daily candy consumption is linked to violent crime.

Researchers looked at more than 17,000 children born in 1970 who ate candy daily at the age of 10. The study says 69 percent of the children were arrested for violent crimes by the age of 34.

Historically, researchers may be on to something. Adolf Hitler allegedly ate large amounts of chocolate and pastries, often to the exclusion of a balanced diet. In their book about serial killer Ted Bundy, "The Only Living Witness," authors Stephen G. Michaud and Hugh Aynesworth reported that Bundy had a similar craving for sweets.

Researchers of the new study told The Associated Press their findings are interesting but require more investigation, according to a story on MSNBC.com.

"It's not that the sweets themselves are bad, it's more about interpreting how kids make decisions," Simon Moore of University of Cardiff, and one of the study's authors, told the news service.

Moore told the AP parents don't need to cut off the candy supply for fear of turning their children into Attila the Hun. This is an incredibly complex area," he added. "It's not fair to blame it on the chocolate."

What do you think? Could candy bars turn Dr. Jekyll into Mr. Hyde?

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