"Josh Halpern" > wrote in message
...
>
>
> Marvin Margoshes wrote:
>
> >"SykonC" > wrote
> >
> >
> >>Maxie P. Diddly wrote:
> >>
> >>
>
>>>http://iol.co.za/index.php?click_id=...18684658B253&s
et_
> >>>id=1
> >>>
> >>>Dirty-mouthed gran chows soil daily
> >>>
> >>>October 13 2003 at 06:18AM
> >>>
> >>>Hong Kong - A 78-year-old woman in northern China has eaten an
> >>>estimated 10 tons of soil over the past 70 years, a news report
said
> >>>on Monday.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>(Hehe that's cool. Hooray for cruelty free farming! jokes. Well,
soil
> >>contains all the nutrients for growing food, so it might be
alright.
> >>Dunno about the taste, she must have very earthworm-like
tendencies .
> >>
> >>
> >>>Hao Fenglan, from Zhangwu county, Liaoning province, developed a
taste
> >>>for mud and dirt at the age of eight and says she feels physical
> >>>discomfort if she does not eat a meal of dirt at least once every
day.
> >>>
> >>>
> >>Mud is 'dirt', but it's not dirty , hehe.
> >>
> >>
> >>>The diet has done her little apparent harm and she is in good
health,
> >>>according to the South China Morning Post. - Sapa-DP
> >>>
> >>>
> >
> >The practice is known in other ethnic groups. Eating soil can
provide some
> >nutrients, but it isn't a complete diet.
> >
> >
>
> It's called pica. No worse than chewing toothpics.

How about chewing pencils?