Good News:The Chewing Gum Myth

"Live Science" reports that there is no credibililty to the old mothers' tale that if you swallow your chewing gum, it takes seven years to digest. My mother once claimed it sat in your stomach forever so that if you swallowed enough of it, you would have no room for food.

Some kid once told me that if you swallowed gum, it could plug up your butt and your guts would eventually explode.

Later, as I recall, my mother owned up to not believing her own story. She had a tendency to 'put one over' sometimes.