Expert: Susan - 6/17/2006

Question
Hi Susan,

I am 26/ female/ 5'11/ 140pounds.  When I was 14, I started
eating about 400 calories a day & got down to 117 pounds.  
Since then, I have steadily gained on the same calorie intake.  
However, at 16, I started chewing & spitting food.  I feel like this
has contributed to weight gain.  I have a small frame & I look
best at about 135 pounds (size 6/8).  I got to 135 by cutting
WAY back on c&s for about 3 months.  Then, I started back up
again & gained it back.  I workout 4 days a week at the gym (1
hour of cardio & 30 minutes of weight training) and I do Pilates
3 times a week.

This is sort of several questions in one, but I guess I'm
wondering if the c&s is the main reason for my weight gain, & if i
can fix my metabolism at this point & eat a more normal amount
of food?

I never eat junk food... only c&s it.  A typical day of eating for
me is a bowl of oatmeal (just the plain Quaker kind) for
breakfast, a string cheese & a little fruit for lunch, a Laughing
Cow light cheese & celery for a snack, and then chicken or
turkey & veggies at dinner.

I really enjoy healthy food, but the c&s is a coping mechanism.  
It's the only thing that makes me feel better when I'm frustrated,
lonely, bored, sad, etc.  It feels like I am out of control when I do
it.  I don't want to in my head, but my body keeps going anyway.

I found this blurb on a site called Findingbalance.com.  Do you
agree with what this doctor says?  Is it not from swallowing
calories but from the insulin surges?

Does Chewing and Spitting Cause Weight Gain?
Hi. All I want to know is if chewing and spitting causes weight
gain
or not. I have heard both ends of the story and I need to know if
the calories absorbed are negligible or if it's like a good percent
of
the food that you chew and spit. I don't chew and spit too often,
but I do it occasionally and it would help to know if I am gaining
many calories from this activity. Thanks, Marisa

Dear Marisa,

The simple answer is that the calories absorbed from chewing
and spitting are negligible. Since food is not exposed to
digestive enzymes of the gastrointestinal tract, fats, proteins
and carbohydrates cannot be digested (broken down into small
pieces) and therefore not absorbed. In fact, only an invert sugar
like honey, which is predigested by the bee into glucose, could
be absorbed through the tongue and contribute calories.

That said, the few calories that you would absorb by actually
swallowing the bite are not the real problem. The greater
concern and more important question is if chewing and spitting
causes weight gain. This has a potentially more damaging
explanation.

There are two phases of eating that precede absorption. They
are referred to the ‘cephalic’ and ‘tasting’ phases of eating.
Cephalic is the suggestion of food, such as seeing, smelling and
hearing about food. The tasting phase is the post-ingestive and
pre-absorptive phase which would be chewing and spitting. Both
the cephalic and tasting phase trigger the release of insulin,
which is not a good thing if you have ever been overweight and
especially if you have lost weight. Excess insulin is a dieter’s
worst nightmare because it raises appetite, makes it easy to gain
weight and makes it difficult to lose weight. Also the resulting
hyper-insulinemia is a precursor of insulin resistance, metabolic
syndrome, and eventually diabetes.

You write, “I don’t chew and spit too often, but I do it
occasionally.”
If you get too close to the fire you will get burned. “I smoked
marijuana but did not inhale,” said former President Bill Clinton.
Can you be a little bit pregnant? These statements are reminders
that you can’t fool Mother Nature and if you get too close to the
edge of the cliff you will fall. We have learned from the gastric
bypass surgical patients that ‘chewing and spitting’ is
inappropriate and has the strong possibility of progressing to an
eating disorder.

Chewing and spitting may seem like a reasonable compromise
for getting the benefits of tasting without the negligible
contribution of calories, but it is an inappropriate behavior that
may very well have negative and health threatening
consequequences.  --Dr. Carson

This post is way too long... but I just need advice on what to do
at this point.  I am heavier than I want to be on a 400-500
calorie a day diet that includes a good amount of exercise.

I am just so frustrated & I don't know what to do.  

Thanks for your time!

Answer
Dear Jen,

You are within the weight range for your age and gender. Your weight range is from 140-171 pounds. If you lose any more weight, it won’t be healthy. Your objective should be to maintain you weight.

Chewing and spitting your food is a eating disorder associated with Anorexia nervosa. C&s will damage your teeth just as bulimia will. I suggest you either continue to talk to me or another volunteer on this website or talk to someone you trust such as a counselor, a friend. Eating disorders don’t just disappear on their own, it takes a lot of work and self control. You have to be patient with yourself and set goals to count down on c&s instead of setting goals for weight lose. I am not forbidding you to stop exercising, you continue you Pilates course and going to the gym. With all the exercise you get, you don’t need to be a on a diet. I get it you want to be thin but, YOU ARE! According to your height, weight, age, and gender, you are near being too skinny. It’s not attractive to be large but, it’s also not attractive to skin and bones.

As for your question about if c&s makes you gain weight. I’m not even sure if I really want to answer that question. If I say no, then will that answer entice you to continue? The truth is I agree with the doctor however I’ll translate what he said into layman’s terms for you. Food is absorbed in different ways depending on the type of food. Carbohydrates break down the fastest. Simple carbs (sugar, white flour) break down immediately, in the mouth, at a rate of 30 calories per minute. Complex carbs (whole wheat flour) are absorbed at the rate of 2 calories a minute. Proteins and fats are broken down even slower than complex carbs and, they are broken down once they each the stomach and after.

You could be gaining weight because you exercise so much. Keep in mind that muscle mass weighs more than fat. You could be working out so much that you are rapidly gaining muscle mass.

Your typical day of eating is not enough. Your calorie intake should be between 1610-1960. It’s good that you don’t eat junk food because junk food isn’t healthy. However, are you forgetting that our bodies need 2-3 servings of dairy products, 2-3 servings of meat/poultry/alternatives, 7-9 servings of fruit and vegetables and 2-3 servings of breads/cereals A DAY. Our bodies also need sugars and fats in little amounts to function properly.

If you are bored, find a hobby like learning to cook healthy meals or take a course on healthy lifestyles. When you’re frustrated talk to someone or right it down in your journal. Allexperts helps people with other problems such as friends, dating, family, etc. If you feel out of control when you do it then stop. I know it’s not that easy but, does c&s make you happy? Obviously not because even you admit that it’s a coping mechanism.

I also agree with what this doctor has to say about why you should stop. Listen and reread what he has to say. If you are so worried about your health then you should seriously think about quitting.

“If you get too close to the fire you will get burned. “I smoked marijuana but did not inhale,” said former President Bill Clinton. Can you be a little bit pregnant? These statements are reminders that you can’t fool Mother Nature and if you get too close to the edge of the cliff you will fall.

Chewing and spitting may seem like a reasonable compromise for getting the benefits of tasting without the negligible
contribution of calories, but it is an inappropriate (I wouldn’t use that wording more ‘abusive’) behavior that may very well (that does!) have negative and health threatening consequences.“--Dr. Carson

Susan