Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi, a six-time Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, has announced his retirement from the sport at the age of 46 due to health concerns. In the Netflix documentary “Hack Your Health – The Secrets of Your Gut,” Kobayashi revealed that years of competitive eating have left him with no appetite or sensation of fullness, causing him to go days without eating. His wife, Maggie James, stated that Kobayashi feels his body is “broken” and hopes to live a long and healthy life despite his struggles.
Kobayashi’s career began in 2000 when he consumed 16 bowls of ramen in one hour on the Japanese variety show “TV Champion.” He set a world record by eating 50 hot dogs in 12 minutes at the 2001 Nathan’s Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest, where he won the Mustard Yellow Belt six times from 2001 to 2006. Over the years, Kobayashi has consumed a variety of foods, including Buffalo wings, lobster rolls, cow brains, hamburgers, tacos, and pizza. He estimates that he has eaten over 10,000 hot dogs throughout his career.
In order to prepare for competitions, Kobayashi would expand his stomach by gradually increasing the amount of food he consumed and working off body fat to ensure his stomach could expand during competition. However, his years of overeating for sport have taken a toll on his health, affecting his nervous system and causing his brain to still crave highly processed foods despite no longer competing. Kobayashi worries about the close relationship between the brain and gut and the impact of his past eating habits on his overall well-being.
Although Kobayashi is retiring from competitive eating, he remains interested in creating a healthier hot dog that incorporates traditional Japanese ingredients. While he will no longer partake in competitions, Kobayashi is hopeful about his future and the opportunity to use his experiences to promote positive eating habits. Despite the challenges he faces with his health, Kobayashi is determined to make changes to improve his well-being and potentially inspire others to do the same.
