Eating contest
An eating contest is a competition between two or more participants who have to eat as much as possible of the food in front of them in a certain time.
distribution
Such eating contests are known from many cultures; there are references to eating contests, for example, in Gylfaginning , the main part of the Snorra Edda . Eating competitions are often held jokingly between family members or are part of an annual festival such as a fair where a typical regional dish is consumed. In the Finnish city of Akaa , for example, the 2005 Mämmi World Cup was held. Mämmi is a porridge traditionally consumed in Finland at Easter time, which is made from rye malt and is known for its rather repulsive appearance. An annual Brimsennocken Festival is held in the Slovak town of Turecká , which also includes, for example, a dinner competition.
In the United States, eating contests are also largely part of a local tradition held at fairs and festivals held by parishes. According to the analysis of the American journalist Jason Fagone, who wrote a book about eating contests in the USA, the attraction of these events lies, among other things, in the fact that local dignitaries often compete against each other in which they potentially make themselves ridiculous. In addition, in the United States, commercially operated eating contests have developed, some of which are reported extensively in the US media. One of the most famous and oldest events is the International Hot Dog Eating Contest , which is traditionally held in New York on US Independence Day . The Wing Bowl , which was held for the first time in 1993 and to which around 20,000 visitors appear today, was an advertising idea from a radio station in Philadelphia. This eating contest, in which the participants have to eat as many chicken wings as possible in a given time , is traditionally held on the eve of the Super Bowl . The International Federation of Competitive Eating is one of the international organizers of eating competitions .
Preparation and training
Professional weather eaters mostly go through rigorous individual training to increase their stomach capacity and eating speed. The elasticity of the stomach is commonly seen as the key to success when eating. While the capacity of the human stomach is around 1.5 liters on average, the capacity of weather eaters is 3 to 5 liters. Weather eaters usually train this by drinking large amounts of water over a short period of time to stretch the stomach. Others combine drinking water with large amounts of low-calorie foods like vegetables or salads. Some eaters chew large amounts of gum to increase jaw strength.
risk of injury
There are repeated reports of injuries or deaths at eating competitions. So a Ukrainian paid in 2011 his victory at a Wareniki -Wettessen with life. The 77-year-old winner fell to the ground after the tournament and apparently died of organ failure . In Deerfield Beach , Florida, USA, 32-year-old Edward Archbold died in 2012 after eating a cockroach . Eating competitions with chili sauce are particularly critical . The improper use of sharper variations can lead to burns to the skin and eyes. Furthermore, consumption can lead to circulatory collapse or kidney failure . In some food competitions, the participants must therefore sign a waiver or limitation of liability before starting, so that the organizer is safe from compensation and / or claims for pain and suffering.
Extensive studies of eating contests are rare, but some findings are cause for concern. Excessive amounts of water can negatively affect the electrolyte balance in the blood. In the worst case, unnoticed gastric ulcers can be injured by binge eating, and those who vomit afterwards can damage their own esophagus due to the rising stomach acid .
Eating Contests in Popular Culture
The US-American author Stephen King took up such a traditional competition in which blueberry pie were eaten, for example in his novella Die Leiche ; a blueberry pie contest is also portrayed in Sterling North's autobiographical novel Rascal, the Raccoon .
Most of the film Taxidermia is about the life of a weather eater. In the world of this film, the eating contest is celebrated like a state act. In the series King of the Hill , the topic is covered in the episode "The Fat and the Furious". In The Simpsons , the episode "The Truck Driver's Secret" builds on the death of a weather eater.
In the comic mosaic with the Abrafaxes, April 1980, a dumpling competition is celebrated.
criticism
While gluttony - such as a festive dinner with a Christmas goose - is a cultural asset in western latitudes , eating competitions are repeatedly criticized for ethical reasons. Against the background that around 45 million people died in famine in the People's Republic of China during Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forwards campaign . B. there such events viewed from a different perspective. In Taiwan, the authorities are even considering a ban on eating competitions " because the participants hastily gobble down large quantities, get sick and put a strain on the health system ."
literature
- Jason Fagone: Insatiable - Competitive Eating and the Big Fat American Dream . London 2006, ISBN 0-224-07680-9 .
Web links
- competitiveeaters.com All Pro Eating Promotions, Association of Weather Eaters
Single receipts
- ↑ Mämminsyönnin MM-kisat ( Memento of the original from January 17, 2008 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (Finnish)
- ↑ Homepage of the organizer (Slovak) ( Memento of the original from February 27, 2009 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ^ Benninghoff, Drenckhahn, Anatomie, 16th edition, Elsevier Verlag (2002), p. 655.
- ↑ Focus: Chili Eating Contest: Participants in Scotland collapsed on October 6, 2011.
- ↑ Göttinger Tageblatt: The winner of the eating contest dies after the tournament on September 20, 2011.
- ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Man wins cockroach eating competition and dies on October 9, 2012.
- ↑ Die Welt: Man wins cockroach eating contest and dies on October 9, 2012.
- ↑ Süddeutsche Zeitung: Scharfe test of courage Chili con Alarme ( Memento of the original from January 23, 2010 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. dated January 20, 2010.
- ↑ Zungenfeuer.de: Chili-Wettessen waiver ( page no longer available , search in web archives ) Info: The link was automatically marked as defective. Please check the link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. (PDF; 109 kB), accessed on June 29, 2013.
- ↑ That hits the stomach - eating contests as a sport by Stefan Petri
- ↑ simpsonspedia.net: The truck driver's secret
- ↑ MosaPedia : Dumpling Eating Contest
- ↑ MosaPedia : Mosaic 4/80 - The wrong Hanswurst
- ↑ a b Pia Rolfs: PIAnissimo: eating competition. Frankfurter Neue Presse , November 4, 2011, accessed on February 19, 2014 .
- ↑ Chinese eats 40 bowls of noodles one after the other. Die Welt , February 3, 2014, accessed on February 19, 2014 .
