More sad news from Asia. The Times of India reports that Saurav Sabbarwal, a solutions engineer with Nokia Siemens Networking, died after choking in a pastry eating contest held at an office cafeteria in Guragon, India. It is not clear if the contest was pre-planned or an informal competition.

Nokia produced a commercial featuring a competitive eating fan who uses her phone to get contest updates.

update The contest was apparently a company activity and there was no medical supervision present. Mr. Sabbarwal’s family is considering suing Nokia Siemens.
Links: NewKerala, ThaIndian, PTINews

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• BeautifulBrian.com has a farewell address
• Cherry Pie & Cherry Pie Eating Contest winner costumes for sale on craigslist
• Skinnyboy has posted his health report
• Billy “the Fridge”, winner of a Seattle donut contest has joined WLOCE according to its myspace page
• Will Millender has posted a report about the Goya bean eating contest he wrote for his English class to his myspace blog

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updated Dec 12, 2009

1983 North Carolina Marine dies in donut eating contest at the Cherry Point Marine Corps Air Station
1999 Chicago, a 12 year old school girl dies playing “Chubby Bunny” in an unsupervised classroom. The goal of “Chubby Bunny” is to say “Chubby Bunny” after stuffing one’s mouth with as many marshmallows as possible.
2002 Japan, school boy dies in cafeteria after attempting a stunt seen on a televised eating contest.
2004 Canada man dies after choking in chicken wing eating contest held at Regina bar.
2004 Japan, housewife dies in bread eating contest in Fukusaki, Hyogo Prefecture
2006 Canada, woman dies in “Chubby Bunny” contest held at Ontario fair
2007 Sacramento, woman dies of water intoxication after competing in a bladder endurance contest sponsored by a radio station.
2007 India, man (believed to be epileptic) dies from breathing complications in an idli eating contest
2008 Wales, man dies in unplanned post party cupcake contest to use up left over buffet food. Articles about the contest do not make it clear if the contest was a mouth-stuffing contest or a speed eating contest
2008 Taiwan graduate student dies after victory in a steamed bun eating contest
2008 India, engineer at Nokia Siemens of India chokes after making a pastry eating bet at a company party.
2009 Kaliningrad, Russia Boris Isaev chokes in pancake eating contest
2009 Hyderabad, India Bandu Joshi dies after stuffing 6 laddus into his mouth

Of the above 13 deaths, 7 (Russia, India 2007 & 2009, Japan, Regina, Taiwan, North Carolina) occurred in scheduled conventional eating contests. It is not mentioned what medical personnel was on site at those events.

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The Taipei Times has sad news about a steamed bun eating contest:

An eating contest at a local university ended in tragedy on Wednesday when a graduate student died after participating in a steamed bun eating competition.

Huang Te-hsiang (黃德祥), dean of the student affairs office of Dayeh University in Changhua, said yesterday that a 23-year-old student, surnamed Chen, from the Graduate Institute of Bioindustry Technology could not stop vomiting and fell unconscious after he began to feel uncomfortable during the school’s eating competition on Wednesday.

update ETaiwanNews has more information. An autopsy will be conducted to determine the cause of death.

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• Verdict of “misadventure” reported in UK mouth stuffing contest fatality
• Article about Chef One dumpling contest results
• Registration for La Costena jalapeno and Nugget rib contests open today
• Registration closed for CT Ribs, Myrtle Beach BBQ, Houston kolaches
• Chicago dragon noodle contest Friday
• Miss Busy Lady on diets
• Pizza Eating contest in Dover, Ohio Sunday
• Tomoko Miyake attempts a curry with ostrich egg challenge (and wears the ostrich eggshell as a hat)
• Video of big eating cat named after Gal Sone

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OregonLive has an article about competitive eating with quotes from Joey Chestnut and Carlene LeFevre. The quoted doctors are more positive about competitive eating than medical experts often are:

Patterson’s a fan of competitive eating. “I find those things fascinating to watch, actually,” she says. And gurgitators — competitive eaters’ chosen moniker — may have a healthier relationship with food than many jockeys, gymnasts and wrestlers, who can become anorexic or bulimic trying to keep their weight down.

Eating for contests is not a disorder, or “in any way contributory to any eating disorders,” says Dr. James Hancey, a psychiatrist at Oregon Health & Science University — though “to my mind, it’s the height of stupidity.”

OregonLive also has a video interview with Joey Chestnut.

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• Article about Juris Shibayama in The Tennessean
• Crazy Legs Conti profile in The Examiner
• Another poster with Dale Boone on it
• AOL fanhouse live blog
• Youtube video from yesterday’s weigh-in
• Examiner article about competitive eating health risks. Tyler Cymet, a doctor of osteopathic medicine at Northwest Hospital who says he treated competitive eaters is quoted.

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• Tampa Bay Online article about Nathan’s finals
• Joey Chestnut interview for Tampa Bay Online
  

  Q: Do you and Kobayashi actually hate each other?
  A: We might like each other in 15 years when we’re done. A lot of us are close friends.

• Hall Hunt article in First Coast News
• AFP article about Nathan’s finals. Kobayashi says he will eat at least 60 HDB
• Japan Today article about Nathan’s finals
• Little Italy pasta contest July 5
• Updated odds on gambling911.com
• re-release of 2007 Jason Fagone article about C E injuries (from Wing Kong & Megamunch)
• Youtube video of QVC qualifier
• More comments on the WSJ Health blog

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Articles about Nathan’s finalists

• Pat Philbin – NJ.com
• Hall Hunt – Orlando Sentinel
• Nate Biller – MySanAntonio.com
• Pete Davekos – Boston Herald
• Takeru Kobayashi – NY Daily News

• The Wall Street Journal’s health blog on competitive eating
• Will Millender and Sal Carbone expected at Peggy O’Neil’s hamburger eating contest
• IFOCE BBQ sandwich eating contest near Tulsa July 26 – registration opens Monday (from Crawfish)
• The Sporting News blog thinks Nathan’s hype is down in 2008

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• Video of bacon eating contest from Super Paul Barlow
• Video of a recent Pat Bertoletti practice session
• amNY article about Badlands Booker
• Video promoting upcoming “Hungry & Focused” apparel from Badlands Booker
• Synopsis of upcoming “Hurl” episodes on G4
• Crazy Legs and Eater X make the cover of the current Village Voice (from Liz K) – a gallery from their article
• MSNBC on extreme July 4 meals
• 2 for the price of 1 Nathan’s online coupon
• Slideshow of Henderson, MN sauerkraut competition
• Fox News article about Nathan’s
• Krystalist announces Krystal Square Off V
• Megamunch emails the following request for an upcoming Baltimore Examiner story:
  

  Are there any long-term health effects of competitive eating? What about just short-term effects? Should people take certain precautions if they are competitively eating? Are there warning signs someone should look out for if they compete frequently? Contact: Sara Michael, smichael@baltimoreexaminer.com

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The Los Angeles Times has an article about the impact of competitive eating on eaters’ health. Crazy Legs Conti is quoted and says that he and Tim Janus have hired a yoga instructor to help their eating. George Shea says that most eaters do not train for contests.

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• Jed Donahue competes in a grilled cheese cooking contest and comes in second place. (From Liz K)
• Video of man choking during impromptu hot dog eating contest at Wrigley Field (via FrogSoda & Awful Announcing
• Krystalist challenges chef Gordon Ramsay to a Krystal eating contest
• Megamunch announces return from competitive eating blogging hiatus
• New motto for MosesNews: “When Eating News Breaks…. We Feed It To You”
• Stockton asparagus contest press release
• CBC News article about “Furious” Pete
• USA Today blog commenter wants to meet Joey Chestnut
• Gyudon eating contest in the Philippines

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Russ from the Ace of Spades blog, who sought tips on competitive bacon eating, has a report on the contest and his subsequent trip to the hospital where he was diagnosed as a type 2 diabetic. He does not blame his diabetes on the eating contest since bacon has no carbs and believes his high level of cholesterol is temporary.

I get multiple visits from the hospital’s chronic disease coordinator (diabetes is her biggest bag), the nutritionist, and even a doctor. Not the doctor who I saw on Tuesday (she left for a vacation in ….Belize…. on Tuesday night), but another doctor who I’ve seen in the past for a small ganglia cyst. He sits down to talk with me about my health, and proceeds to tell me that not only do I have high blood sugar, but my LDL reading are way high. I told him about the 2008 First Annual Blue Ribbon Bacon Fest, and he damn near falls out of his chair laughing. To quote him: “You know, I get a lot of stories from patients like “Doc, my readings are just high because I had a big breakfast”, but you’re probably the first patient who’s actually given me a plausible reason for high readings. He decided to re-check my blood in a month to see what it looks like out from under the shadow of bacon.

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Here is a list of all the deaths in eating/drinking contests I am aware of:

1999 Chicago, a 12 year old school girl dies playing “Chubby Bunny” in an unsupervised classroom. The goal of “Chubby Bunny” is to say “Chubby Bunny” after stuffing one’s mouth with as many marshmallows as possible.
2002 Japan, school boy dies in cafeteria after attempting a stunt seen on a televised eating contest.
2004 Canada man dies after choking in chicken wing eating contest held at Regina bar.
2004 Japan, housewife dies in bread eating contest in Fukusaki, Hyogo Prefecture
2006 Canada, woman dies in “Chubby Bunny” contest held at Ontario fair
2007 Sacramento, woman dies of water intoxication after competing in a bladder endurance contest sponsored by a radio station.
2007 India, man (believed to be epileptic) dies from breathing complications in an idli eating contest
2008 Wales, man dies in unplanned post party cupcake contest to use up left over buffet food. Articles about the contest do not make it clear if the contest was a mouth-stuffing contest or a speed eating contest

Of the above 7 deaths, 3 (India, Japan, Regina) occurred in scheduled conventional eating contests. It is not mentioned what medical personnel was on site at those events.

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The Daily Mail reports that Adam Deely died after getting five fairy cakes lodged in his throat in a cake eating contest at the at the Monkey Cafe in Swansea, South Wales. The competition was not medically supervised or even planned; it was held after a party concluded and guests decided to clean out uneaten food left over from a buffet spread.

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Don “Moses” Lerman reports that he will have his thyroid gland tested on Thursday. He believes his thyroid might be responsible for his weight gain and says his sister was recently diagnosed with an underactive thyroid.

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Deadspin has a picture of a poster in a New Lisbon, Wisconsin bar reading

“Free Tap Beer!! during Green Bay football games (until someone pees or leaves)”

The brands of beers on the poster are Bud and Bud Light. If the odds of dying from water intoxication from drinking Bud Light are the similar to the odds drinking plain water, it is surprising that such a contest is being held given the death of a competitor in the “Hold Your Wee for a Wii” contest sponsored by a Sacramento radio station. (Of course, some people might say that Bud Light is virtually indistinguishable from water. 😉 )

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In a recent blog entry, Pat Bertoletti offers diet advice to “Sweet” Jill Stoler.

In more diet news, Don “Moses” Lerman reports that he is satisfied with his weight loss and expects to weigh between 170 lb. and 200 lb. by spring.

Jill Stoler also has uploaded some videos from the recent latke contest on her youtube page.

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David Metz, who examined Tim “Eater X” Janus on “The Science of Speed Eating”, has published a paper with three other researchers called “Competitive Speed Eating: Truth and Consequences” in the American Journal of Roentgenology. Access to the paper requires payment of $10, but an abstract is available which concludes:

Our observations suggest that successful speed eaters expand the stomach to form an enormous flaccid sac capable of accommodating huge amounts of food. We speculate that professional speed eaters eventually may develop morbid obesity, profound gastroparesis, intractable nausea and vomiting, and even the need for a gastrectomy. Despite its growing popularity, competitive speed eating is a potentially self-destructive form of behavior.

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The Daily Light reports that 8 year old Vincent Doblado successfully used the Heimlich maneuver to dislodge a piece of pizza caught in his friend Ian Nance’s throat. The children were competing in an unsupervised pizza eating contest.

“It’s a blessing to know that my son didn’t panic and that he knew exactly what to do,” said Alexandro Doblado, Vincent’s father. “I can remember one day Vincent coming home from school and asking me about the Heimlich maneuver. I explained to him what it was and its purpose but little did we know that he was going to have to actually do it on someone one day. It’s just a blessing that he kept his cool and that he knew what to do.”

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Many people have wondered why Seaver Miller has not appeared in any IFOCE events since the pretzel contest on the Tyra Banks show after making a strong run at the IFOCE rookie of the year in 2006. Paul Barlow has solved this mystery and sent the following email reprinted below with Seaver’s permission. It is too bad that Seaver will not be able to compete in another eating contest, but fortunately the condition which has led to his retirement appears to be under control.

I have been in contact with Seaver Miller a few times over the last several months, and with his blessing, can now reveal what happened to our favorite foraging fireman.

Initially, I thought maybe he was going to be on a reality show, and was secluded somewhere outside the U.S.A. Visions of him “stealing my spot” on Survivor filled my head, and after I’ve sent in 13 videos, I thought maybe the producers called IFOCE headquarters looking for a young, handsome substitute great eater, instead of being stuck with an old, handsome, mediocre eater to put on their show. Was this to be yet another TV appearance denied???

Turns out, I was once again, extremely wrong….a pattern that repeats throughout my life (just ask my wife). Seaver told me, around April, that he had a mysterious-possibly deadly aliment that would keep him out of action indefinetly. He didn’t want to tell me what it was, fearing the worst. I still wasn’t quite sure if this was true, and that he said this just to avoid my jealous reality contestant wanna-be wrath. It was true, and Seaver has gone through a lot this year.

It turns out that he went to the doctor, and they found pollups(sp?) on his lymph nodes – which, at the time, caused him to be worried about cancer, among other terrors. The scond time we talked, he was still figuring out what was going on, and I was worried, he sounded like a man who was really playing survivor – for his life, not for TV. He swore me to secrecy, and I kept my word, only “hinting” to Hall Hunt – who I know has a direct connection upstairs – so Hall could put Seaver in his prayers. My upstairs connections are pretty much destroyed after 38 years of being an insane bachelor, who has since been “shackled”, and forced to be a good father, and wanna-be good eater.

My next calls to Seaver resulted in answering machines, which scared me more. Either he blocked me out, or maybe he was in some hospital, or some cemetary plot, or on some island getting voted out. Finally this week, I heard from the hydrant harraser, and now the mystery has been solved with both good news, and sad news for all faithful fireman followers.

It turns out, Seaver has what is called a “lazy intestine”. This basically means the thing doesn’t process food like it should, so it keeps him messed up – stomach wise. He does not have cancer, but is on a lot of medication, so competitve eating is out of the question. He informed me this also eliminates him from any reality shows, so my spot on Survivor is still open. I am certainly glad he is as OK as possible, and hope he can at least attend some of our events – Seaver is a great guy with a nice family, and in his brief, but star-studded role, in our galaxy of gluttony, he was a welcome addition.to any contest….even though his presence meant I would finish eighth instead of seventh. Hurrah for Seaver “The Acheiver” Miller, may his life torch stay lit for a long time!

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Andrew “Skinnyboy” Lane has challenged Juris “Dr. Big Time” Shibayama to reveal his body fat percentage in order to determine who deserves the title of the most fit eater in the IFOCE.

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Don “Moses” Lerman reports that his nephew, Ryan Urban, has issued the following challenge:

Dr. Urban who off is the nephew and owner of record at Moses News .Com says ‘ I’m going to shut down Moses news .com says as an incentive and motivator if my uncle doesn’t lose 30lbs by Feb.1st He can say goodbye to MOSES NEWS .COM

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The Saratogian reports that Peter G. Hume, a social studies teacher who played in the Canadian Football League, passed away at the age of 54 from natural causes:

He was friends with actors who got him a part in the 1979 Bill Murray comedy “Meatballs.” Hume played a character called “The Stomach” in several scenes including the famous hot-dog eating contest where he blurted his favorite line “What, no mustard?”

Another actor who competed in the “Meatballs” hot dog contest, Keith Knight, died in August from brain cancer.

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(From Dr Big Time) An article on Dr. Juris Shibayama appears in the Nashville Medical News:

Throughout medical school, Shibayama competed in body building. While he doesn’t have the time for that anymore, he’s up at 5 a.m. for an elliptical workout daily and lifts three or four times a week. His best bench press was an impressive 500 pounds when he was 22. “I got it on videotape, because I knew I’d never be able to do it again,” he said.

Shibayama approaches competitive eating with a similar drive, preparing for last month’s competition by expanding his stomach. When training first began, he could drink a gallon of water in about six minutes, “and I felt terrible for like an hour. But now I’m to the point where I can drink it in 45 seconds, and I feel pretty good after about two or three minutes,” he said. Once he mastered that, he would drink a gallon of water in the parking lot of an all-you-can-eat buffet restaurant, and then head inside to eat all he could eat.

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