Just had one of those scratch your head moments

jeffpettis
jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
edited September 28 in Food and Nutrition
So I'm sitting at my desk, and notice the "Nutrition Facts" label on my Wrigley's Spearmint gum container, and I notice that there are 5 calories in 2 pieces of gum. Now my question is, do the calories only count if you swallow the gum??? Not that it really matters, but it kind of made me scratch my head.:smile: LOL!!!
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Replies

  • waterjogger
    waterjogger Posts: 114
    :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: Good question!
  • CodyD18
    CodyD18 Posts: 161 Member
    That's a really good question... I've never though about it haha. I'm sure that its if you don't swallow the gum or else they'd just say 0. You know how those food companies can be. :P
  • veggievixen
    veggievixen Posts: 36 Member
    If only that's how it worked! No, the sweet taste while you chew is that 5 calories mixing with your saliva. :)
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
    I always swallow gum. This is why I rarely chew gum.
  • brewingaz
    brewingaz Posts: 1,136 Member
    I always swallow gum. This is why I rarely chew gum.

    I always spit.

    We're talking about gum, right?
  • Heather75
    Heather75 Posts: 3,386 Member
    Spitting is rude.

    Yes. Gum.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    I always swallow gum. This is why I rarely chew gum.

    I always spit.

    We're talking about gum, right?


    LOL!!!!:laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • The_Saint
    The_Saint Posts: 358 Member
    Sugar alcohol in the gum is the source of the calories, or sugar itself. The gum's sugars are absorbed through the skin of the mouth. You could put the gum in the side of your cheek and still result in the 5 calories...I have a 2 pack a day habit...
  • The_Saint
    The_Saint Posts: 358 Member
    Oh are we still talking about gum?
  • MsLadyVirgo
    MsLadyVirgo Posts: 160 Member
    :laugh:
  • LeonaB17
    LeonaB17 Posts: 304
    HAHAHAHAHA SO funny you ask this question. I asked this very same question at work one day about a year ago - and noone had the answer. And they all thought I was a little nutty for even asking - but it made them scratch their heads too. It's a multi-faceted question.
    1. If you don't swallow the gum, does it still count as all 5 calories?
    2. If you only chew the gum for a few seconds, do you only ingest a portion of the calories- and if so does the rate of calorie intake per seconds chewed vary from gum to gum?
    3. If the calories counted on the package are in the flavor part alone - and you also swallow the gum, do you ingest more calories?
    4. And lastly - does chewing the gum for a long time burn more calories than are in it in the first place?

    I say this is a job for the MYTHBUSTERS!!!
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    4. And lastly - does chewing the gum for a long time burn more calories than are in it in the first place?

    I Love It!!! There are people out there that do think like me, so I'm not crazy... Wait, or are "we"???
  • supershiny
    supershiny Posts: 170 Member
    LOL yes it counts ;) hehe they don't intend for you to eat it! Actually, the calories probably come from the sugar and/or sugar alcohols they put into the gum. You know how the sweet taste disappears after a while? that means all the calories are gonesies :O]
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    LOL yes it counts ;) hehe they don't intend for you to eat it! Actually, the calories probably come from the sugar and/or sugar alcohols they put into the gum. You know how the sweet taste disappears after a while? that means all the calories are gonesies :O]

    So... If I only chew it for a few minutes, not until all the flavor is gone I'm cutting the calories in half! Right???:wink:
  • cccathyyy
    cccathyyy Posts: 207 Member
    Hahahaha, love this! I don't count them.. is that bad? lol
    HAHAHAHAHA SO funny you ask this question. I asked this very same question at work one day about a year ago - and noone had the answer. And they all thought I was a little nutty for even asking - but it made them scratch their heads too. It's a multi-faceted question.
    1. If you don't swallow the gum, does it still count as all 5 calories?
    2. If you only chew the gum for a few seconds, do you only ingest a portion of the calories- and if so does the rate of calorie intake per seconds chewed vary from gum to gum?
    3. If the calories counted on the package are in the flavor part alone - and you also swallow the gum, do you ingest more calories?
    4. And lastly - does chewing the gum for a long time burn more calories than are in it in the first place?

    I say this is a job for the MYTHBUSTERS!!!
  • LeonaB17
    LeonaB17 Posts: 304
    4. And lastly - does chewing the gum for a long time burn more calories than are in it in the first place?

    I Love It!!! There are people out there that do think like me, so I'm not crazy... Wait, or are "we"???

    :) If this makes us crazy - well I'm pretty sure we aren't the only ones.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    Hahahaha, love this! I don't count them.. is that bad? lol
    HAHAHAHAHA SO funny you ask this question. I asked this very same question at work one day about a year ago - and noone had the answer. And they all thought I was a little nutty for even asking - but it made them scratch their heads too. It's a multi-faceted question.
    1. If you don't swallow the gum, does it still count as all 5 calories?
    2. If you only chew the gum for a few seconds, do you only ingest a portion of the calories- and if so does the rate of calorie intake per seconds chewed vary from gum to gum?
    3. If the calories counted on the package are in the flavor part alone - and you also swallow the gum, do you ingest more calories?
    4. And lastly - does chewing the gum for a long time burn more calories than are in it in the first place?

    I say this is a job for the MYTHBUSTERS!!!

    I have never counted them either, so I guess I have been lying to myself all along when I enter my food everyday:sad: :sad: !!!
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    4. And lastly - does chewing the gum for a long time burn more calories than are in it in the first place?

    I Love It!!! There are people out there that do think like me, so I'm not crazy... Wait, or are "we"???

    :) If this makes us crazy - well I'm pretty sure we aren't the only ones.

    Amen Sister!!!:wink:
  • Cristy_AZ
    Cristy_AZ Posts: 986
    4. And lastly - does chewing the gum for a long time burn more calories than are in it in the first place?

    I Love It!!! There are people out there that do think like me, so I'm not crazy... Wait, or are "we"???

    :) If this makes us crazy - well I'm pretty sure we aren't the only ones.

    I actually had this debate with myself when I first started logging everything and decided I burned off the calories in the act of chewing it and never entered it into my diary... but yes, I thought about it for a bit before deciding... :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • ImperfektAngel
    ImperfektAngel Posts: 811 Member
    I like to think that if I chew the gum long enough, I will burn those calories right up! lol
  • LeonaB17
    LeonaB17 Posts: 304
    Hahahaha, love this! I don't count them.. is that bad? lol
    HAHAHAHAHA SO funny you ask this question. I asked this very same question at work one day about a year ago - and noone had the answer. And they all thought I was a little nutty for even asking - but it made them scratch their heads too. It's a multi-faceted question.
    1. If you don't swallow the gum, does it still count as all 5 calories?
    2. If you only chew the gum for a few seconds, do you only ingest a portion of the calories- and if so does the rate of calorie intake per seconds chewed vary from gum to gum?
    3. If the calories counted on the package are in the flavor part alone - and you also swallow the gum, do you ingest more calories?
    4. And lastly - does chewing the gum for a long time burn more calories than are in it in the first place?

    I say this is a job for the MYTHBUSTERS!!!
    If it's just one or two pieces I don't count them either. But when they first came out with Trident Layers - I found myself chewing through an entire pack in one day - I'd chew a piece until it lost its flavor, and swap it out for another - and that is what made me ponder the issue in the first place. A 12 piece pack would have like 60 calories - and although I wasn't doing MFP at the time, I was counting calories - and realized wow! That's a lot of calories!
  • holdthefries
    holdthefries Posts: 514 Member
    And if its ABC gum then there are no calories right?:tongue:
  • The_Saint
    The_Saint Posts: 358 Member
    New goal for later this year, consume my entire day's worth of calories in gum....

    Oh it's going to be epic.
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    I think I'll just start chewing it faster, then I'll burn those 5 calories, and add a few minutes to my Cardio for the day! LOL!!! :laugh:
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    And if its ABC gum then there are no calories right?:tongue:

    I just fell out of my chair laughing!!!!!!!
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member
    New goal for later this year, consume my entire day's worth of calories in gum....

    Oh it's going to be epic.

    I'm with you, let me know what day we're gonna do it!:drinker:
  • supershiny
    supershiny Posts: 170 Member
    LOL yes it counts ;) hehe they don't intend for you to eat it! Actually, the calories probably come from the sugar and/or sugar alcohols they put into the gum. You know how the sweet taste disappears after a while? that means all the calories are gonesies :O]

    So... If I only chew it for a few minutes, not until all the flavor is gone I'm cutting the calories in half! Right???:wink:

    You gotst it!!! hehe

    also you could do a few jumping jacks and burn those sticks off. don't want them to go to your waist!!
  • supershiny
    supershiny Posts: 170 Member
    ack double post
  • jeffpettis
    jeffpettis Posts: 865 Member

    also you could do a few jumping jacks and burn those sticks off. don't want them to go to your waist!!

    My waist is my "problem" area, so I do not want that!!! :laugh:
  • The_Saint
    The_Saint Posts: 358 Member
    I also have this condition where I can't have only 1 piece. It must be 2. And if I ever offer a piece of gum, expect I will hand you 2, there are exactly 18 sticks of gum in my pack of tropical twist trident. That is 9 chewing sessions! 9! not 8.5.

    I can't handle an odd number of sticks of gum in a container.

    Anyone else have this problem?
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