is it abnormal to eat paper?

Question

.

Answer 1

When i was a child/teenager, i used to read alot, and would tear the corner off the bpage and eat it while i was reading. I do not do it now and i never did it to a library book, lol, but i 'ate' paper for a long time without suffering any harmful effects that i know of.

Answer 2

Yes, it is. Paper eating is the most common form of Pica ... a 'disorder' where people eat 'inappropriate things' that are not 'food' or 'edible.' The 'fiber' in paper is NOT 'good dietary fiber' and it won't help you lose weight, although you may get 'diverticulitis' if you eat enough of it, and require surgery to 'clear your bowels.'
I'm telling you this because I used to eat paper when I was a child ... you could always tell when I'd read a book I owned, because I 'ate the margins' as I read the book, so it had a 'weird border' to all the pages. Luckily I didn't need 'surgery' but I still have some 'serious digestion issues' now that I'm 57, and that Pica I had when I was a child is at least partially responsible for my 'problems' today. DO NOT EAT PAPER and if you know someone who does, check with their doctor to see if they can't be 'cured' of this disorder.

Answer 3

It is in the eyes of an adult abnormal to eat paper,but in the eyes of a child it must seem like the tastiest thing since sliced bread because i am always chasing after my 1 year old trying to pry the TV mag out of his mouth and no sooner that i do that he is tucking into the second course ... the Argos catalogue and for desert he likes mommys art mags so are we wrong and babys right lol yes it is abnormal to eat paper.

Answer 4

Pica
The word pica comes from the Latin word for magpie, a bird known for its large and indiscriminate appetite.

Pica is most common in people with developmental disabilities, including autism and mental retardation, and in children between the ages of 2 and 3. Although kids younger than 18 to 24 months can try to eat nonfood items, it isn't necessarily considered abnormal at that age.

Pica is also a behavior that may also surface in children who've had a brain injury affecting their development. It can also be a problem for some pregnant women, as well as people with epilepsy.

People with pica frequently crave and consume nonfood items such as:

dirt
clay
paint chips
plaster
chalk
cornstarch
laundry starch
baking soda
coffee grounds
cigarette ashes
burnt match heads
cigarette butts
feces
ice
glue
hair
buttons
paper
sand
toothpaste
soap
Although consumption of some items may be harmless, pica is considered to be a serious eating disorder that can sometimes result in serious health problems such as lead poisoning and iron-deficiency anemia.

Answer 5

Yes. There is actually an eating disorder which causes people to crave weird, non-food items like paper, dirt, clay, etc. I've even heard of people eating laundry starch. It's called PICA and I think it caused by a vitamin deficiency ... maybe iron.

At any rate, eating paper is not a good idea, especially if it was treated with chlorine in the paper-making process or has any inks or dyes in it.

Answer 6

You have to ask this???? Of course it is abnormal. It also means that there is some deficiency of minerals and nutrients in your meals. Consult a doc if you feel weak or unwell persistently ! Paper has harmful chemicals which might turn out to be fatal in the long run !

Answer 7

My cats love eating paper! But for humans, yeah it's probably abnormal!

Answer 8

I think yes. It's abnormal to eat papers. Eat the right food so that you can get right nutrition.

Answer 9

It depends on the types of paper, paper which can be placed on top of cakes with pictures on. So mainly yes if your thinking about commercial normal paper, Sugar Paper, technically not.

Answer 10

It is abnormal, yes...but also a medical condition. Pica, as it is known, is a mental disorder where people eat objects they shouldn't eat...hair, paper, dirt, metal...you name it.

You can read more about Pica here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pica_(disorder)