Expert: Melissa - 4/21/2009

Question
i have been chewing and spitting food for years now. i have lost some weight in fact people think im too slim. however are there any detremental effects of doing this and how can i get help.

Answer
Yes there are several dangers.

1. A person who chews and spits is not allowing essential nutrients into the body. Therefore, the behavior is akin to starvation dieting and/or purging by vomiting.

2. Ulcers (because food in the mouth triggers acid release in the stomach) and jaw pain are possibly in store for regular chewers and spitters.

3. Weight gain, not weight loss is the most likely consequence. The body reacts in unforeseen ways to continual chewing and spitting. Seeing, smelling, hearing about and even the hint of food can trigger the release of insulin. This hormone regulates blood sugar and is a major player in diabetes. Tasting food releases salivary enzymes and also triggers the release of insulin. Excess insulin is a dieter’s worst nightmare, because the hormone stirs appetite, making a person feel hungrier, wanting to chew and spit more. Here lies the addiction to chewing and spitting, which like bingeing and purging can be daunting to try and quit. Heightened appetite also triggers eventual weight gain, something easily evidenced by simply reading the bloggers’ laments. If a person chews and spits long enough, they can fall into a state of hyper-insulinemia, producing too much insulin, which sets him or her up for insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, and eventually diabetes.

4. Finally, a person who chews and spits is probably harboring deeper fears about his or her weight and body image. These fears– and all preoccupations with thinness and dieting– are the foundation of all eating disorders. If you chew and spit, you are setting yourself up for a serious disorder later in life.


Talk to your parents about getting a therapist and dietican.
Melissa