I used to be a candy cane addict. Every Christmas season I'd inhale any candy cane I could find -- the teeny eeny ones handed out at the bank, the standard canes hanging on Christmas trees and my stocking would usually have a giant, 4 ounce candy stick poking out the top Christmas morning.

Worse yet, I rarely sucked on a candy cane. A candy cane cruncher, I motored through four or five at a time. Although that giant candy stick did require gnawing -- I rarely finished one in a single sitting.

Now calorie-conscious, a candy cane relapse could seriously undermine my goals. As you're showered with candy canes this season, here's the lowdown on how many calories you're consuming. Information is provided by Spangler Candy, a popular candy cane manufacturer.

• 1.0 oz -- 110 calories -- 7 1/2" tall
• .50 oz -- 55 calories -- 6" tall
• .10 oz -- 11 calories -- 2 1/2" tall

From these calorie counts, I presume that 4 ounce giant candy stick packs over 400 calories!