By the time Easter is over, we will all be 90 lbs heavier… at least we will be if the Phoenix stores get their way. Not only do they have tempting Easter goodies piled high on all their shelves, but they have employed cruel yet effective product placement of Crème Eggs at their tills. Even if you manage to make it through the aisles without picking up a Lindt bunny rabbit, you will probably weaken when it comes to eggs at the checkout. And if your resolve is teetering on the brink, it will shatter in to a million pieces once the assistant asks – with genuine concern for your welfare – why you haven't bought any (which is precisely what happened to me).

There's no doubt that the seasonal Crème Egg campaign is in full swing and it's already taking its toll – especially amongst my pregnant friends. For a few of them, the addiction has gone so far that they now live in fear of laying a 10lb foil-wrapped egg rather than giving birth to a 7lb baby. Pregnancy is not the best time to try and exercise will power so it's a brave person that would stand between a pregnant woman and one of Cadbury's bundles of deliciousness. Nevertheless, the tantalizing placement of chocolate eggs at almost every checkout in Bermuda is in my book, simply not playing fair.

As the fundamental inability to resist Crème Eggs came up over lunch with the girls, I decided to do a quick e-mail poll to determine the extent and depth of the problem. It turns out that 70 percent of those I interrogated admitted to a Crème Egg addiction, with the anticipation of Crème Egg season being largely to blame. And whichever genius at Cadbury gave Crème Eggs their own season deserves a marketing Oscar and … a nutritional Razzie.

According to the website, Crème Egg season is officially January 1 to April 4, which means that fans have just 94 days of the year during which to indulge their cravings. The scarcity of eggs after this point and the fact that out of season, Crème Eggs "just don't taste so good" seems to encourage a binge approach to consumption. When polled, egg fans said they would eat between five and a "bazillion" between now and Easter. Interestingly, even one who claimed not to be addicted said they would eat between five and ten over the next few weeks… that's still a lot. In fact, at the upper end – that's 61 grams of fat and 64 teaspoons of sugar dedicated to a whim, rather than a sincere craving!

This casual research also unearthed some interesting insights on nutritional perceptions. When asked to guess how many calories were in a Crème Egg, the answers ranged between 200 and 800. The reality seems shockingly low in comparison – a mere 175. But the fact is, that we simply tend to equate things that taste fabulous with a high amount of calories, suggesting that we also generally seem to think that deliciousness also means "bad for me".

It's an unfortunate aspect of human psyche that thinking something is bad for us – or perhaps more accurately – viewing something as "naughty" or a treat, automatically makes it ten times more appealing. Perhaps nutritionists should consider a smear campaign on lettuce?

My casual poll participants (remember I am not for one minute suggesting my "research" is scientific) also overestimated the sugar content of Crème Eggs. When asked to quantify it in terms of teaspoons, guesses ranged from five to 22 – averaging around 15 or so. Again, the reality comes in much lower at 6.4 – but remember that is still a lot. Would you put more than six teaspoons of sugar in your tea or coffee?

However it's precisely the sugar rush of 6.4 teaspoons of sugar – usually gulped down in one or two mouthfuls (I asked) – that seems to fuel Crème Egg addiction.

As one egg fan put it: "It's just pure bliss to eat one" although she did add "…but I do hate the sugar crash!" Yet the temporary euphoria only seems to enhance the whole "experience" with every single fan admitting to an ecstatic ritual when it comes to consumption: "take off the top, scoop out the middle, eat the chocolate egg in two bites while groaning" and one person simply saying "inhale".

So, the challenge here seems to be that despite thinking Crème Eggs contain a huge amount of calories and sugar, this knowledge doesn't appear to factor in to the decision of whether or not to eat one. The logic seems to fall along the lines of "it's Easter, therefore I must eat Crème Eggs". Even my revelation – post-poll – that a Crème Egg contains more saturated fat than a large portion of McDonald's fries, didn't seem to put people off. In fact, one egg fan reported back to me in a matter of minutes "I have just eaten 6.4 teaspoons of sugar and more saturated fat than a large McDonalds fries". Ooops…. the power of suggestion!

After all this, I did debate whether or not I should write this column at all. But reluctant to shelve this deeply academic and time-consuming study, I'm taking the risk and no doubt planting a tiny Crème Egg shaped seed in your brains. I'm hoping that the bit you take away from this is that Crème Eggs contain more saturated fat than a large portion of fries. That's a big deal! You should also know, that although the calorie and sugar content seems comparatively low – even when held up to "lighter" options such as Maltesers – that this is only because the portion size is fairly small. Weight for weight, Crème Eggs rank alongside the serious offenders when it comes to sugar, calories and saturated fat. So if one egg tends to lead to two, or three, or – to quote my most zealous egg fan – "a bazillion" then get ready to buy some oversized pants.

However if, on the other hand, you are over-sized pant phobic, consider the following tips for managing sugar cravings this Easter:

1. Have a good breakfast. By eating a healthy breakfast you can prevent yourself giving in to cravings later on in the morning when you have become really hungry. Combine complex carbohydrate (e.g. wholegrains or fruit) with protein (e.g. eggs, nuts) to provide you with plenty of slow-releasing energy. Try scrambled eggs and wholewheat toast or a Kashi wholegrain cereal with a few almonds.

2. Anticipate a hunger-dip. If you know you get hungry at around 11 and 3, then anticipate these dips by having a healthy snack 15-minutes beforehand. If planning to that degree sounds like too much work, just make sure you snack as soon as you feel hungry, rather than waiting till you are starving (and therefore less capable of making a healthy choice).

3. Keep healthy snacks handy. I now keep them in the car at my desk and at home too. Nature's Path Crispy Rice bars, Kashi TLC bars, raw nuts and fresh fruit all make good snacks. Wholegrain cereals are also useful and if you have more time, try guacamole/hummus with veggie sticks/wholegrain crackers.

4. Try a smoothie as a snack, rather than just as a drink. If you add protein (whey powder, nuts, almond butter, soymilk) to your smoothie, that helps to slow the release of the sugar from the fruit and ultimately make it a long-lasting satisfying snack. Always order a small smoothie though - even fruit can get way too high in sugar. Down to Earth and Buzz shops both have protein options for their smoothies.

5. Try Xylichew chewing gum. Use chewing gum to help you resist a candy craving, but choose carefully! This one is sweetened with Xylitol, a naturally occurring sugar alcohol that has little impact on blood sugar.

Xylitol is also actively good for your teeth so your dentist will be happy. Try and avoid gum made with artificial sweeteners such as aspartame. Xylichew is available at Down to Earth and Rock On. The flavours are great, but I'll be honest, they don't last all that long.

6. Use other natural low-calorie sweeteners. Stevia and agave nectar are both available at Down to Earth. Stevia has a slightly odd after-taste (in my opinion) but lots of people like it. Agave is a great option and good in both drinks and baking.

7. Above all, DO NOT venture into Phoenix – or for that matter near any other check out –- when you are hungry! Buy lunch before you are starving and run errands when you are full.

The advice given in this article is not intended to replace medical advice, but to complement it. Always consult your GP if you have any health concerns. Catherine Burns BA Hons, Dip ION is a fully qualified Nutritional Therapist trained by the Institute for Optimum Nutrition in the U.K. Please note that she is not a Registered Dietitian. Contact her at nourishbda@gmail.com