Former Chinese soccer player Li Bing (R) shows his football skills in the event.
As the 2010 FIFA World Cup kicked off on June 10, soccer fans from all over the world geared up for the one-month soccer carnival.
"Chew Bar," launched by Wrigley, a leading manufacturer of chewing gum, is a new site for Chinese soccer fans to cheer up for their favorite teams during the World Cup season, and more importantly, to reduce their daily little stresses from different occasions.
Wrigley advocates that unlike traditional bars, "Chew Bar," which can be found in Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and five other Chinese cities, is a healthy and relaxing way to enjoy the World Cup without the worries of stress.
Wrigley provides free chewing gum in addition to an assortment of games including FIFA 2010 for PS3, Finger Football, and WII Soccer at Chew Bars to help fans relieve life’s daily little stress while playing their favorite soccer games.
"Because of the nature of our business, the mechanics, science and benefits of chewing have been of keen interest to Wrigley for over a century. We have long been aware of chewing's positive contributions to overall health and well-being." noted Mr. Steve Deng, Wrigley China's Corporate Affairs Director.
Former Chinese soccer player Ou Chuliang plays with fans.
"Based on multiple researches, chewing is more than just a basic function of digestion – it is a multi-faceted exercise tied to physiological, cognitive and psychological benefits, " Deng noted.
The "Chew Bar" campaign, explained Deng, aims at revealing the secret behind chewing gum: it is an effective and popular means for many famous athletes to relieve stress.
"We believe that adopting this healthy habit could help improve the quality of your life in a small but tangible way" Deng concluded.
Your favorite soccer stars already know chewing gum reduces stress
A recent survey conducted by Peking University and Beijing Sport University on the stress levels of university athletes showed that 63.6% of subjects feel that chewing gum before a match helps them reduce anxiety and be more positive.
Psychologist Zhou Xiaolin explained that soccer players are not only chewing gum to look casual and cool but to relieve tension during matches.
A 2009 report by Andrew Scholey, a professor at the University of Northumbia in the UK, found an increase in alertness of participants who were chewing gum. Also, their levels of salivary cortisol, a physiological stress marker, were greatly reduced.
According to the survey, about 50 percent of subjects were open to the idea of chewing gum to reduce daily little stress. This showed that chewing gum has become an increasingly popular way of stress reduction among athletes."
Former Chinese soccer player Ou Chuliang said, "Some fans regarded my gum chewing during matches as unprofessional and unsportsmanlike."
"But really, it is just a way to relieve stress. We perform better and are in more control of our emotions during a match when we stay relaxed," said Ou.
Li Tie shows his football skills.
Li Tie, Liao Ning Whowin team of the China Football Association Super League agreed, confirming that chewing gum is a convenient and efficient way of reducing pressure.
Nowadays, it's not only athletes that face competition and social pressure. Zhou Xiaolin said that everyone needs to look for a balance between their bodies and minds. He feels it's important to raise awareness on both the need and methods to relieve stress and tension caused by negative emotions. Professor Zhou suggested that, among other things, chewing gum may be a viable option to help people relieve life's little stresses.
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