Monday
Feb202006
Parental Myths #2: Swallowing chewing gum
Monday, February 20, 2006 at 8:09AM
This new section apparently hit home with many from my generation (that's the generation in between hearing parental myths and actually using parental myths). Several readers responded to the myth regarding the 30 minute digestion time needed prior to swimming. My prayers go out to all of you that have lost valuable pool time due to these false teachings spewed forth from our parents. This brings us to my second myth.
Parental Myth #2: Swallowing Chewing Gum Clogs Your Intestines and/or Takes Several Years To Digest.
Personally, I have been informed that a wad of chewing gum may take up to 7 years to digest. Once again, I have one question : Are parents insane? Your stomach consists of highly corrosive acid. It has the ability to destroy metallic substances of all kinds. But, as always, parents do not attempt to pass this myth onto the college educated child. They choose, instead, to "drop this bomb" on us when we are in first or second grade and have no access to honest medical literature. Not only that, most young school children have only one mental reference for clogged digestion. That's right...the girl from Willy Wonka that turned into the big blueberry after eating the gum. And she was scary. Of course you are going to freak out little kids with these myths. who wants to turn into a blueberry? Also, what's with the seven years? Why is that some magical number of years for digestion? I know there are probably a whole bunch of 7 year olds freaking out about their 14th birthday when they will finally "pass" the wads of BubbleYum they've been gulping down over the years.
So, once again, let me free you from this myth. Tonight, go home and chew a pack of big red or juicy fruit. When you are finished, swirl it over the back of your tongue and gulp it down.
Click here to read the other parental myths exposed!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
Parental Myth #2: Swallowing Chewing Gum Clogs Your Intestines and/or Takes Several Years To Digest.
Personally, I have been informed that a wad of chewing gum may take up to 7 years to digest. Once again, I have one question : Are parents insane? Your stomach consists of highly corrosive acid. It has the ability to destroy metallic substances of all kinds. But, as always, parents do not attempt to pass this myth onto the college educated child. They choose, instead, to "drop this bomb" on us when we are in first or second grade and have no access to honest medical literature. Not only that, most young school children have only one mental reference for clogged digestion. That's right...the girl from Willy Wonka that turned into the big blueberry after eating the gum. And she was scary. Of course you are going to freak out little kids with these myths. who wants to turn into a blueberry? Also, what's with the seven years? Why is that some magical number of years for digestion? I know there are probably a whole bunch of 7 year olds freaking out about their 14th birthday when they will finally "pass" the wads of BubbleYum they've been gulping down over the years.
So, once again, let me free you from this myth. Tonight, go home and chew a pack of big red or juicy fruit. When you are finished, swirl it over the back of your tongue and gulp it down.
Click here to read the other parental myths exposed!
Quietly making noise,
Fletch
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