Competitive Eating: Sport, Entertainment, or Just plain wrong?

joey chestnut.jpgOne of the more famous traditions of Independence Day is the Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest on Coney Island. In case you haven't heard, Joey Chestnut has completed his 4th straight win by eating staggering 54 hotdogs (with buns) in 10 minutes. Let that sink in for a moment...

It got me thinking about the "sport" of competitive eating, its toll on the competitors, and how it has become a microcosm of our society's glutinous ways.

Competitive eating is big - much bigger than I thought it was. There is actually a governing body (International Federation of Competitive Eating) with branches worldwide. The IFOCE hosts more than 100 "Major League Eating" events worldwide every year.

Nathan's Hotdog Eating Contest, which started as a friendly bet between four immigrants in 1916, has burgeoned into an event that draws large crowds and is broadcast on ESPN.

Let's examine the sheer insanity of the feat just accomplished by Joey "Jaws" Chestnut. Out of morbid curiosity I whipped out the calculator to see what kind of nutritional nightmare Mr. Chestnut had accomplished in a mere 10 minutes.

Calories: 21,450
Fat: 1080g
Sat. Fat: 390g
Carbohydrates: 2,285g
Protein: 730g
Sodium: 45,700mg

Gasp...

Fifty hot dogs should be more of a lifetime quota, rather than something to be accomplished in 10 minutes.

I have a difficult time seeing any good whatsoever when it comes to the Coney Island event or competitive eating in general. On one hand, we have a Western society marred by declining health and obesity. At the other end of the spectrum, there are almost a billion people in the world who don't get enough food to eat. Considering the global severity of these two extremes, I see no place for these glorified circus side-shows.

What are your thoughts on competitive eating?