Do you know e-commerce platform Amazon has a long list of bizarre and weird stuff listed on its website for selling to its customers? You will be surprised to know that Amazon is now selling slate pencil or chalk for 'eating'. Yes, you have heard it right.
Chalk eating is a habit that some people have and as a kid, you must have either done so or have seen someone doing so in school. Anyone who does so may have an eating disorder called pica. Though chalk isn't exactly harmful, Amazon monetizing on an eating disorder and encouraging people to consume such non-nutritional stuff is just plain uncalled for.
There are multiple listings on the Amazon website, with one product named, "Study or Eating Natural White Limestone Slate Pencils Natural Chalk Pencils." A second listing reads, "SSKR Slate Pencil for Kids Natural Lime Stone Chalk Pencil for Writing and Eating." Not just these two listings, several other similar products have been splashed all across Amazon.
After reading these listings, people have been slamming the e-commerce platform, saying that it encourages eating disorders.
People are calling out Amazon for selling various types of slate chalk for eating. It is clear that they have made people with an eating disorder their target audience.
"I eat these slate pencils for an evening snack. They are so tasty and can't keep the packet down without finishing. Finger licking good can’t explain the taste. You'll get rich vitamins, proteins, minerals, and carbohydrates. No more gummy bears or multivitamins. Not sure it’s FASSAI approved. But who cares!" wrote one user.
Know about eating disorder Pica
If anyone feels the need to eat chalks then the person might have a medical condition termed Pica. Pica is a disorder of the human body, where the patient feels the urge to eat substances that are not categorized as food and that do not contain a significant nutritional value. It could be anything from paper, soap, wool, paint, hair, or for that matter chalk.
It usually occurs most often in children and pregnant women and is typically temporary. Chalk is essentially calcium carbonate, a substance that's not a toxin but still unhealthy when ingested. Over time, Pica can result in medical conditions such as parasitic infestations, ulcers, intestinal obstructions, and tooth abrasions.
