Things You Didn't Know About Eating Contests
advertisement
VOICE OVER: Rebecca Brayton
WRITTEN BY: Michael Wynands
You've got to be really hungry for the win. Like, really hungry. From their legacy, to the dangers and best practices, here are some little known facts about this staple of food culture. WatchMojo counts down the Top 5 Unappetizing Things You Didn't Know About Eating Contests.
Special thanks to our user Strider Xanthos for suggesting this idea! Check out the voting page at WatchMojo.comsuggest/Top+10+Unappetising+Facts+About+Eating+Contests.
Special thanks to our user Strider Xanthos for suggesting this idea! Check out the voting page at WatchMojo.comsuggest/Top+10+Unappetising+Facts+About+Eating+Contests.
Script written by Michael Wynands
You’ve got to be really hungry for the win. Like, really hungry. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 5 Unappetizing Things You Didn't Know About Eating Contests.
For this list, we’re taking a look at the incredibly gross and dangerous facets of competition eating.
When you’re little you’re taught to carefully chew your food before swallowing, not only to facilitate digestion, but to help you avoid choking. Well, it would seem that most parents aren’t raising their kids to be world class eaters, because at the competitive level, the thinking is… the less chewing, the better. It all comes down to time management, and when you’re eating against the clock, every second spent gnashing your teeth counts, so the pros train themselves to swallow large chunks of food. Funnily enough, while competitors do minimal chewing at an event, they often spend countless hours chewing gum in order to build up jaw strength.
Gagging isn’t the only reflex that competitors must ignore. A normal stomach comfortably holds 1 liter of contents, but can be stretched to hold over 4 times that. How? Well... you know that little voice that says, “I’m full?” That’s your satiety reflex, and professional eaters learn to turn it off. At a certain point, it tries to make them throw up, but they shut down that mechanism too, because if they fail to do so and puke - referred to as a “Roman incident” or “reversal” in competition - they’re disqualified. Unfortunately...pain is something that the competitors can’t turn off - and pushing your stomach to limit involves some serious hurt.
For us civilians, moving is likely the last thing we’d want to do during or after overeating. But the experts will tell you that it’s an important part of the competitive strategy. Remember, they’re rarely eating long enough for any sort of sluggishness to hit, so that food-related laziness that hits you on Thanksgiving isn’t really an issue. The idea is that jumping helps to get the food down. Disgusting as it might sound, according to competitor Michelle Lesco, it can start to feel like food is backing up into the oesophagus, and jumping helps it into the stomach. Famous Eater Joey Chestnut similarly praises jumping as essential for packing the food down.
Hot Dogs are probably the food item most commonly eaten in competition - hot peppers and chicken wings are also quite popular. But really… anything you can eat, you can eat competitively. Professional speed eater Matt Stonie has made a name for himself by setting records eating all sorts of foods, from bacon and tacos to Peeps marshmallow candies. Of course, there are those who will always look to push the envelop, and at the annual Testicle Festival in Montana, where eating testicles is the name of the game, open-minded eaters put their stomachs to the test by seeing who can chow down on the greatest number of “Rocky Mountain Oysters” - battered, deep-fried testicles.
As reported by VICE’s MUNCHIES, in 2017, two people died of food-related causes within a 24 hours span after participating in unrelated competitions. Both were as a result of asphyxiation. Sadly, fatalities occurring during or after an eating contest are more common than you’d think. Just weeks earlier, a Korean college student died, also due to blocked airways, after participating in the school’s eating contest. When you’re eating that quickly and consuming so much food, it’s easy for unchewed food to back up or remain partially lodged. Then there’s the risk of pushing a stomach past the breaking point, which can result in a rupture with potentially fatal consequences.
Top 5 Unappetizing Things You Didn't Know About Eating Contests
You’ve got to be really hungry for the win. Like, really hungry. Welcome to WatchMojo.com, and today we’re counting down our picks for the Top 5 Unappetizing Things You Didn't Know About Eating Contests.
For this list, we’re taking a look at the incredibly gross and dangerous facets of competition eating.
#5: Most of the Food Doesn't Get Chewed
When you’re little you’re taught to carefully chew your food before swallowing, not only to facilitate digestion, but to help you avoid choking. Well, it would seem that most parents aren’t raising their kids to be world class eaters, because at the competitive level, the thinking is… the less chewing, the better. It all comes down to time management, and when you’re eating against the clock, every second spent gnashing your teeth counts, so the pros train themselves to swallow large chunks of food. Funnily enough, while competitors do minimal chewing at an event, they often spend countless hours chewing gum in order to build up jaw strength.
#4: You Have to Ignore Your Body's Reflexes
Gagging isn’t the only reflex that competitors must ignore. A normal stomach comfortably holds 1 liter of contents, but can be stretched to hold over 4 times that. How? Well... you know that little voice that says, “I’m full?” That’s your satiety reflex, and professional eaters learn to turn it off. At a certain point, it tries to make them throw up, but they shut down that mechanism too, because if they fail to do so and puke - referred to as a “Roman incident” or “reversal” in competition - they’re disqualified. Unfortunately...pain is something that the competitors can’t turn off - and pushing your stomach to limit involves some serious hurt.
#3: They Jump Around While Eating
For us civilians, moving is likely the last thing we’d want to do during or after overeating. But the experts will tell you that it’s an important part of the competitive strategy. Remember, they’re rarely eating long enough for any sort of sluggishness to hit, so that food-related laziness that hits you on Thanksgiving isn’t really an issue. The idea is that jumping helps to get the food down. Disgusting as it might sound, according to competitor Michelle Lesco, it can start to feel like food is backing up into the oesophagus, and jumping helps it into the stomach. Famous Eater Joey Chestnut similarly praises jumping as essential for packing the food down.
#2: Testicle Eating Contests Are Real
Hot Dogs are probably the food item most commonly eaten in competition - hot peppers and chicken wings are also quite popular. But really… anything you can eat, you can eat competitively. Professional speed eater Matt Stonie has made a name for himself by setting records eating all sorts of foods, from bacon and tacos to Peeps marshmallow candies. Of course, there are those who will always look to push the envelop, and at the annual Testicle Festival in Montana, where eating testicles is the name of the game, open-minded eaters put their stomachs to the test by seeing who can chow down on the greatest number of “Rocky Mountain Oysters” - battered, deep-fried testicles.
#1: It Can Be Deadly
As reported by VICE’s MUNCHIES, in 2017, two people died of food-related causes within a 24 hours span after participating in unrelated competitions. Both were as a result of asphyxiation. Sadly, fatalities occurring during or after an eating contest are more common than you’d think. Just weeks earlier, a Korean college student died, also due to blocked airways, after participating in the school’s eating contest. When you’re eating that quickly and consuming so much food, it’s easy for unchewed food to back up or remain partially lodged. Then there’s the risk of pushing a stomach past the breaking point, which can result in a rupture with potentially fatal consequences.
