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Chewing gum


Lucy

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Not been into Warrington town centre for some time (nor on this forum) but on a recent visit noticed that the amount of chewing gum stains on the pavements in Bridge Street in particular, but elsewhere as well, is as bad as ever.

I read in the paper the other day that the chewing gum industry is in crisis because people are not buying gum like they used to.

As this foul habit appears to be on the decline elsewhere, is it too much to hope that it might go into decline here also?

 

PS  And before anyone says anything...yes there is a fair amount of gum on the pavements of Lymm too!

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Sorry Asperity, but while I agree with the second part of your comment, I think there is everything wrong with chewing gum. I think it is a revolting habit - almost as bad as smoking.  The sight of someone with their jaws constantly rolling and, if their mouth is slightly open, the occasional glimpse of the gum in their mouth, makes me feel sick. It also makes them look like simpletons.

 

There is a myth that it is good for you - but every dentist I have spoken to has rubbished the idea. It can cause indigestion.  Just what it does for anyone I cannot imagine.

 

There are other myths that it is helps you relax, helps you concentrate, etc. All rubbish.  Some sportsmen seem to think it is some kind of aid to performance but an Australian cricketer nearly died once when a piece of gum got stuck in his throat while he was playing.  I have heard that the manufacturers actually pay some sports celebrities to chew gum as a means of persuading others to do so, although I don't know if this is true.

 

It is clearly habit forming because users seem to become as addicted to it as smokers do to cigarettes.

 

Having said all that, it is, I suppose, no business of mine if some people want to make themselves look idiots by chewing gum. Unfortunately the "certain groups of people" who drop it in the street appear to large in number, judging by the amount you see.

 

If it is in decline and the industry is suffering, I for one am delighted.

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Bridge Street is probably covered in chewing gum due to all the revelers trying to freshen their breath when they come out of/are going back into the many clubs and bars to get rid of the booze and smoke smell.  Women are usually the worse when it comes to wanting to get rid of stinky breath with a quick chew :wink:   

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Lucy..... I find most of your comments judgemental and down right insulting.... if there was a way to block me from seeing the drivel and diatribe you spout I would gladly take it

 

"makes them look like simpletons"

 

"Just what it does for anyone I cannot imagine"

 

"certain groups of people"

 

"If it is in decline and the industry is suffering, I for one am delighted."

 

"Having said all that, it is, I suppose, no business of mine ".... quite possibly the only sensible part of the post

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I don't see anything wrong with people chewing gum (providing they dispose of it properly) and our dentist told us years ago that it's good for teeth too for the same reasons it says in your link Evils

A little warning about sugar free chewing gum though... the Xylitol in it is poisonous to dogs so don't leave it near your dog if it's the sort that will eat anything as it can kill them within hours if they don't get immediate vet treatment.   It's safe for us humans though so don't panic.

Personally I always preferred the pink hubba bubba chewy we used to buy as kids as we could blow huge bubbles with that especially if you put quite a few in at once..... a bit hard to get off your face when it popped though or if your friend shoved their finger in it when you were still blowing :lol:   Oh and Bazooka bubbly was good for it too and that came with a little tattoo and a cartoon strip to read.

I'd forgotten all about that until this topic  :D

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WHAT IS CHEWING GUM.

Answer: Originally, chewing gum was made from the latex sap of the sapodilla tree (native to Central America). This sap was called chicle. Other natural gum bases may be used, such as sorva and jelutong. Sometimes beeswax or paraffin wax is used as a gum base. After World War II, chemists learned to make synthetic rubber, which came to replace most natural rubber in chewing gum (e.g., polyethylene and polyvinyl acetate). The last U.S. manufacturer to use chicle is Glee Gum.

In addition to the gum base, chewing gum contains sweeteners, flavorings, and softeners. Softeners are ingredients such as glycerin or vegetable oil that are used to blend the other ingredients and help prevent the gum from becoming hard or stiff.

Neither natural nor synthetic latex are readily degraded by the digestive system. However, if you swallow your gum it will almost certainly be excreted, usually in pretty much the same condition as when you swallowed it. However, frequent gum swallowing may contribute to the formation of a bezoar or enterolith, which is a sort of intestinal stone.

 

Chewing gum is actually recyclable then!. :wink::D

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Well, all I can say to all those who see nothing wrong with chewing gum is...you haven't been brought up properly.

 

And Dizzy, how you can give such a graphic description of bubble gum chewing in your youth and STILL see nothing wrong with it is beyond me.

 

My parents told me chewing gum was a vulgar habit,, imported by American servicemen during the war and that  decent people didn't do it. I believed them and I still do.  And the fact that so many people spit the stuff out and leave it in the street strengthens my belief.

 

Have none of you ever got a piece of gum stuck to your shoe and not wanted to shoot the person who dropped it?

 

Ye Gods...talk about standards!

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Well, all I can say to all those who see nothing wrong with chewing gum is...you haven't been brought up properly.

Good grief, that's really rude Lucy and how I wish my mum was still alive as I'd ask her to come on here and tell you exactly how we were brought up and what standards she and my dad had that were instilled upon us as we grew up and even when we were adults.  Maybe my dad will answer though.....

 

And Dizzy, how you can give such a graphic description of bubble gum chewing in your youth and STILL see nothing wrong with it is beyond me.

 

Becasue when we blew bubbles we were kids Lucy and a bubbly was only 1p from the little sweet shop in the village, it lasted ages and was tasty and fun.  Once finished we always used to wrap it back up in the paper and put it in a bin so NO I still can;t see anything wrong with it.  I occasionally still buy chewing gum and the menthol variety is very good for clearing a blocked nose or relieving a muzzy head and also chewing gum actually helps when I have hayfever, I've no idea why but it does.

 

My parents told me chewing gum was a vulgar habit,, imported by American servicemen during the war and that  decent people didn't do it. I believed them and I still do. 

 

Ahh so it's an age thing and your parent's instilled the belief on you and that is why you have never liked it.  Have you never ever tried chewing gum or bubbly in you life then ?

 

And the fact that so many people spit the stuff out and leave it in the street strengthens my belief.

That bit I agree with :D

 

Have none of you ever got a piece of gum stuck to your shoe and not wanted to shoot the person who dropped it?

 

No but I've had plenty of dog poop on my shoes and that REALLY annoys me !!!

 

Ye Gods...talk about standards!

I still don't see how chewing chewing gum means people have low standards and I've even seen our local vicar chewing it, I;m sure he has high standards !

 

Throwing gum on the ground does show low standards but then that's the same for people who throw other rubbish on the floor such as crisp packets, pop bottles, chip wrappers etc etc etc. 

 

Mmm now there's a thought, Lucy do you also have the same view about people who eat chips, burgers, sweets, choc bars, drink pop etc etc too with those are often seen disgarded on the streets too.

 

Funny old world at times and I can't believe I'm sat here and typed all this talking about something as simple as chewing gum :lol:

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Neither natural nor synthetic latex are readily degraded by the digestive system. However, if you swallow your gum it will almost certainly be excreted, usually in pretty much the same condition as when you swallowed it.

 

Chewing gum is actually recyclable then!. :wink::D

:lol: :lol: Ok so who's going to try swallowing some to see if it comes out in the same condition? 

 

My brother wont eat sweetcorn as he says it's a waste of time as it always comes out the other end the same.  I can't say I've ever noticed that though but then again I don't tend to look :wink:

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:lol: :lol:   I just googled and found this about sweetcorn.  I'm guessing it's true as it seems to have been written by someone in the medical profession  and was on a science site..... or they could be fibbing.

Anyway.....

Sweetcorn is a seed and like all seeds the outer surface, or kernel, is a tough case that protects the delicate innards - think of a coconut as a more extreme example.

The thing that makes the sweetcorn kernel hard is cellulose, a major plant carbohydrate which is a linear polymer of glucose molecules joined end to end (essentially a tougher version of starch) and which gives plant cell walls their stiffness.

It's indigestible because the gut lacks the correct enzymes, called cellulases, required to break it down efficiently so it passes through unaltered, making a major contribution to dietary 'ruffage'.

Rabbits, which are also obligate herbivores (vegetarians) get around this problem by relying on colonic (large-bowel) bacteria, which do make cellulases, to break down their dietary cellulose for them. The only downside is that the colon lacks the ability to absorb the sugars yielded by this bacterial breakdown, so the rabbit has to eat its own poo so that the upper intestine can absorb the cellulose breakdown products ! I wouldn't recommend taking the same approach !

However, if you chomp your sweetcorn thoroughly before you swallow it you will digest and absorb the soft innards, which are good for you, even if the outer kernel goes down the pan. But if you swallow it whole, it will pass through untouched.


So there you go.  Asp maybe you and my brother could do a little experiment and re-eat your sweetcorns to see if they break down more on the next 'passing'  :lol:8)

 

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