Everything Lamar Odom Keeps In His Candy Stash
If you have a sweet tooth, there's a chance your favorite athlete has one too. In fact, so many Americans share a love of candy that 8 pounds are consumed each year per person on average (via The Conversation). Every day, 25% of individuals have at least one piece of candy, especially on Halloween, Valentine's Day, Easter, and Christmas.
Per SB Nation, NBA player Dwight Howard consumed the equivalent of 24 candy bars daily for a decade, some of which included Skittles, Kit Kats, and Twizzlers. "He'd eat [Reese's Pieces] before lunch, after lunch, before dinner, after dinner, and like any junkie, he had stashes all over — in his kitchen, his bedroom, his car, a fix always within reach," Los Angeles Lakers nutritionist Dr. Cate Shanahan said at the time. Football player Marshawn Lynch is also a candy lover, namely Skittles, claims Sports Casting. His obsession began with his mother, who encouraged him to eat candy to sooth an upset stomach. Skittles were chosen because they were typically quick to eat. He found that the method worked, and now, he can be seen popping in Skittles on the sidelines.
More than 10 years ago, according to The Morning Call, Lamar Odom also admitted his love of candy, and like Lynch, he found it beneficial in his own way as well.
One doctor wasn't happy with his habit
In 2009, basketball star Lamar Odom landed the nickname "The Candyman" after revealing his admitted candy obsession. His top vices? Twizzler bites, gummy bears, Hershey's Cookie and Cream Bars, Lifesavers, and sugarcoated peach-flavored rings (via The Morning Call). Not only did he love candy — he also attributed it to his on-court success. "It's funny because the games I played well were the games where I ate candy for breakfast. It's the reason why I got double digits in points and rebounds. I guess I'm going to have to eat candy for breakfast in order to play well," he says.
Psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Amen, as reported by ABC News, wasn't happy with this news, revealing his displeasure in a letter he sent to the team following the news. He eats the sugary snacks morning, noon and night, and even says he sometimes wakes up in the middle of the night, chows down on some treats, then falls back asleep," Amen said. "This is bad news for the Lakers."
Though Odom didn't heed the doctor's advice at the time, he admitted to TMZ in 2020 his plans to cut out the sugary treats. Odom's decision to remove all sugary products from his diet came after he was cut from The BIG3 league in 2019 for being out of shape.