Chewing Away The Fat

Can chewing gum actually help you lose weight?

- Zinhlezonke Zikalala

It can reduce anxiety, boost your memory and freshen your breath. But can it really help you shave off a few centimetres? Some experts believe it can. We’re about to go through the good and the bad of the sticky stuff.

POPPING THROUGH THE PROS

“Chewing gum can help you control cravings, manage hunger and ultimately promote weight loss,” says Anél Kirsten, dieitican at Paarl Dietitians. But, before you get too excited, it’s not some miracle cure to weight loss – it works because it can be a low-kilojoule way of satisfying a sweet craving. In fact, many diet plans, like Weight Watchers, consider sugar-free gum as “free food”. But munching on a square of Chappies is not going to do the trick – the type you choose will make a difference. “Sugar-free gum made with xylitol is the best pick. There are 25kJ in a two-piece serving of Stimorol Wild Cherry Sugarfree Gum compared to 50kJ in one Chappies Gum,” says Kirsten.