It?s revolting, but most people can?t take their eyes off it.
The professional sport of competition speed eating draws crowds of 50,000 to watch men and women gorge themselves on hot dogs, oysters, waffles, pigs feet, wings and an extra helping of you-name-it.
Last week, hot dog champion Joey Chestnut became a household name after he downed 66 hot dogs with buns in 12 minutes ? one wiener every 10.9 seconds.
“To be completely honest, we started it because we had fun with it, and we knew it had sponsor and fan appeal,” said Richard Shea, co-founder of the International Federation of Competitive Eating. “We never thought it would become this big.”
But gastroenterologists worry about the effects of binge-gorging as well as fans gorging on the hype.
“I don?t think it?s a good idea,” said Scott Huber, of Baltimore?s Mercy Hospital. “I don?t think it?s something everyone should try.”
But he worries about the fans as well.
“As a physician, I don?t think it?s a good idea to promote overeating with the problems of obesity in this country,” Huber said.
Dr. David Metz, of the University of Pennsylvania, said studying super-eaters could benefit the average person.
“We know they eat gallons and gallons of food … and they don?t feel pain or dyspepsia,” Metz said during the recent National Geographic Channel?s “The Science of Speed Eating.” “They don?t feel discomfort. Maybe learning how these guys can handle it might give us some insight into how to treat people with dyspepsia.”
Jean-Pierre Rauffman, head of gastroenterology at the University of Maryland Medical Center, said Metz may be on to something.
“In medical history, there?s a long history of studying the worst-case scenario, the extreme, so you can learn something about the milder forms,” Rauffman said.
There are risks.
Training by drinking gallons of water can cause electrolyte imbalances, leading to seizures or even death.
Overeating, in rare cases, also can cause a rupture of the esophagus or stomach and force-feeding is used to engorge the livers of geese with excess fat for pates.
The liver processes most of what people eat and overworking it can cause damage, Rauffman said.
The subject of the documentary “Supersize Me” began to show liver damage after just a week of oversized McDonalds fare, he said.
“I don?t think that there?s any health benefit to doing something like this,” Rauffman said.
AT A GLANCE
Dr. David Metz, of the University of Pennsylvania, and other doctors working with National Geographic found fundamental changes in the stomachs and digestion of speed eaters.
Most people take four to five hours to empty their stomachs after a good meal, but smaller meals can be digested in a few hours.
Day trader and competitive eater Tim Janus doesn?t even begin emptying his stomach for hours when he doesn?t reach his competition levels of eating.
His symptoms match gastropariesis, a paralysis of the stomach similar to diabetes patients.
His stomach expands immediately when food hits it and does not begin to contract until he finishes.
The average eater?s stomach expands later and begins contracting sooner.
Source: The National Geographic Channel?s “The Science of Speed Eating”
