Super Spicy Snacks Send Kids to Emergency Room

Someone in my family bought a bag of some new super-spicy potato chips, and they've sat almost full for a couple of weeks. No one wants them, even though my daughters normally love spicy food. Apparently, some kids go for them -too much. Popular new snacks covered with flavor powder described as "Flamin' Hot" or "Super-Spicy" are sending children to the emergency room with gastritis, an inflammation of the stomach lining.

Dr. Robert Glatter, an emergency room physician at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, said he believes that the flavoring coating the chips and snacks is what might be causing the stomach pH to change, rather than just the spiciness of the snacks. For example, he said he hasn't had a lot of people coming in doubled over from eating too much spicy salsa.

"In the past, I had not seen any problems with snack food until spicy flavoring became more popular," said Glatter.

Glatter said it wasn't just the high fat or high salt content that the kids or adolescents crave but the actual burn of the spicy flavoring.

"It's almost like a food addiction. They seek out the burn," said Glatter. "It's a little thrill-seeking. 'It's like how much can I tolerate?' and I've seen a number of children who eat four or five bags and come in screaming in pain."

More and more schools are banning the ultra-hot snacks. Glatter advises parents to keep an eye on kids to make sure they don't become addicted to the spicy snacks. (warning: auto play video) -via Arbroath