KCTV 5Mars puts candy bars on a diet

Your king size Snickers' bar may not be so grand anymore. That's because candy maker Mars is looking to downsize its products.

Believe it or not, Mars' well-known king size chocolate bars can contain as much as 540 calories in one package. That's enough calories to make the company put its candy bars on a diet.

Mars plans to reduce most of its chocolate bars to 250 calories or less per portion. That means a new bar would contain almost as many calories as a third of its current king sized Snicker bar.

Large size candy bars will be replaced with bags of two or even four smaller bars to encourage what the company calls "responsible snacking."

Mars has yet to decide on the size or shape of the new bars, but two popular chocolate products won't be on the list for a reduction. Twix bars and M&M's already fall below the 250-calorie cut off mark.

Other brands from Mars include Milky Way, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, and Dove.

Mars aims to reduce all of its portion sizes and calories worldwide by 2013.  It's already begun the process in the U.S. by putting out Snickers 2 To Go bars which contain two smaller bars with fewer calories.

You can check out the nutrition info for Mars' products at www.marshealthyliving.com.

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