Pica & Cribbing (Cravings and Binges) Obesity and overweight problems are synonymous with Americans. Nibble, nibble, nibble all the way home. "Pica" is a seeking, a craving with licking and chewing behavior that has its genesis in mineral deficiencies - interestingly enough neither vitamin deficiency, protein deficiency or calorie deficiency initiates this "pica" behavior, nor will supplementing vitamins or eating sugar, carbohydrate, fat or protein quench it!!! Since American soils are critically deficient and depleted in minerals it is no surprise that pica, cribbing and cravings dominate the American scene. America is minerally deficient - dieters, athletes, vegetarians, meat eaters, embryos, children, teenagers, young adults and seniors. The snack food and fast food industries are aware of this relationship between pica, cribbing, cravings, sugar binges and salt hunger and they use it to their advantage by liberally salting or sweetening their products. Unfortunately for us our bodies temporarily translates sugar and salt consumption as a fulfillment of the craving for nutritional minerals (i.e.- if we lack iron, salt or sugar will temporarily satisfy our pica behavior initiated by the iron deficiency). Historically, the consumption of salt to satisfy a pica behavior was of value because salt was not processed and did often times contain trace minerals and Rare Earths. Today, salt consumption, although contrary to popular belief, is not in and of itself harmful; it does present the problem of allowing our bodies to think we are getting minerals (the equivalent of the "empty calorie diets", i.e.- Processed calories without vitamins or minerals). Check out the Ferret Fat Pack Home