Eating Contests
The Fourth of July weekend has become the most popular time to host
some of the biggest eating contests in the nation. Many of these
contests are televised locally, while some are even televised across the
nation. That's how popular they are! Many of these competitive eaters
are shown gobbling down ridiculous amounts of food under a small time
frame. At least, that's what the audience sees. What they don't see is:
- Most competitive eaters train their stomachs to stretch for these contests. They don't eat that much food regularly.
- Most competitive eaters follow a strict diet regiment to prepare themselves for these eating contests.
- Study, research and preparation for these contests can start months in advance. Some competitive eaters train year round.
- An eating contest is a competition, not an excuse for people to go binge eating.
So, before you decide on entering one of these eating contests after
seeing someone inhale over 60 hotdogs on national TV, consider some of
the health risks:
- Increased risk in developing heart disease, high cholesterol and Type 2 diabetes.
- Stomach perforations from binge eating if you suffer from ulcers.
- Fracturing the jaw due to excessive chewing.
- Heartburn, indigestion, upset stomach, diarrhea and/or vomiting.
While there hasn't been any evidence of immediate health risks from
binge eating during an eating contest, try and understand that the body
was not meant to handle that much food in one sitting. Also consider how
unhealthy most of the foods used in these contests are by themselves.
It's a mystery why you never hear about a broccoli or spinach eating
contest.
Too Much Spicy Food
Here are some of the
potential health risks for going overboard with the spicy food:
- Some studies have shown a connection between chili pepper and stomach cancer.
- Eating too much spicy food can lead to heartburn, acid reflux and indigestion.
- Spicy foods can lead to intestinal disorders like diarrhea, upset stomach and painful bowel movements.
- Can cause burning sensation on the skin.
- Possibility of insomnia or some other disruption in sleep due to increased body temperatures.
Binge Drinking
This is fine, as long as they are
drinking in moderation and have designated drivers to take them home.
What's not fine is spending a day at the park beside the keg, drinking
more than you normally would in an entire month! Here are the potential
health risks for partaking in this type of behavior:
- Alcohol poisoning
- Liver disease
- Brain damage
- Physical and mental impairment
- Stroke and heart disease
- Driving under the influence
- Unintended pregnancy
- Physical injury from accidents caused by excessive drinking
- Sexually transmitted diseases due to impaired judgment and poor decision making
Excessive drinking can also lead to other problems other than health-related issues:
- Legal trouble
- Unsafe environment for families and children
- Inappropriate behavior
