Which State Has The Biggest Sweet Tooth? Hint: For Many, Candy Is The Only 'Allowed Indulgence'

In its efforts to gather data on American candy consumption, The Hershey Company found that one state in particular consumes twice as much candy as the national average. That's because many of its residents abstain from other vices like alcohol, tobacco, and even coffee. Plus, this group tends to have large families with lots of children. Who are these major candy consumers? Mormons.

Approximately 62 percent of Utah residents are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS), and must abide by the restrictions on tobacco, alcohol, illegal drugs, coffee, and tea.

Candy, however, is fair game.

"We don't drink alcohol, we don't smoke, we avoid coffee — but we certainly do sugar," Glenn Christensen, a marketing professor at Brigham Young University, told Bloomberg. "It's the only allowed indulgence." At church events and family gatherings, candy can be found in abundance.

Twizzlers, by the way, perform particularly well in the Salt Lake City area.