With trick-or-treaters coming around the corner, here are 20 reasons why you should stay away from Halloween candy this year.

While we’re staunch advocates for the occasional treat, eating tons of Halloween candy can play tricks on your metabolism, your physique, and your health. Sure, some people might have enough self-control to have just one fun-sized Butterfinger or pop just a few M&M’s but the truth of the matter is that sugar is addicting—and if you start, it’s going to be very tough to put the chocolate away.

Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. Snickers. M&M’s and other sugar-laden options all have an impact on our body’s dopamine system (aka the hormones that helps us feel pleasure). When we eat sugar, dopamine is released by the body and we constantly want more—the same thing happens when you use addictive drugs (not that we’re comparing a candy bar to drugs, but it’s been scientifically proven).

Again, we’re not telling you to eat clean 24/7 but just think of it this way: a big slice of pizza and a small Milky Way bar have about the same amount of calories—aka, more bang for your buck.

This Halloween, leave all the confectionaries for the superheroes and princesses who will be knocking on your door. You might be tempted to try a piece, but trust us, it’s better to leave the sweets to the trick-or-treaters.

Here, we’ve compiled a list of the top 20 reasons you should stay away from Halloween candy this year.

Our first one, just because we found this tidbit interesting: You’d have to perform over three hours of sexual activity to burn off one measly Snickers bar. (But that’s still not a good reason to eat one).

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1) You’d have to complete 1 hour of vigorous weightlifting to burn off 1.5 Snickers bars (approximately 400 calories).

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2) Sugar can decrease the amount of growth hormone in your body.

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3) Drowsiness and decreased activity are byproducts of increased sugar consumption.

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4) Sugar can cause cardiovascular disease by hardening your arteries.

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5) To lose the amount of calories you gain eating 1 Butterfinger, you’d have to jog for more than half an hour.

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6) Your ability to absorb protein can be affected by sugar.

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7) Sugar feeds cancer.

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8) Your chances of becoming diabetic are greatly increased by sugar consumption.

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9) Your body’s defense system can become significantly paralyzed, making it unable to protect against sickness and disease.

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10) Calcium is used to neutralize the acidic effects of sugar, which results in weaker bones.

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11) Half an hour of stationary rowing is required to burn off 1 package of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

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12) Cavity-causing bacteria feeds on sugar.

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13) Your body converts sugar into fat up to 5-times more than it does starch.

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14) Consuming sugar may cause you to break out.

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15) You may be more likely to suffer a heart attack.

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16) Sugar can weaken your eyesight and increase cholesterol.

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17) Sugar reduces your body’s supply of essential supplements such as copper and chromium.

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18) It provides no nutritional value; it’s merely empty calories.

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19) Sugar has an addictive affect.

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