The annual Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest is perhaps the biggest event in all of sports on the Fourth of July. And a big reason why is because of the sheer dominance shown by former competitor Takeru Kobayashi in the event in the early 2000s.
Kobayashi won the event five consecutive times from 2001-2006 before ultimately being unseated by Joey Chestnut, currently the biggest name in the sport. Chestnut’s following battles with Kobayashi from 2007-2009 at the event were widely regarded as the peak of the event’s history.
Because of Kobayashi’s influence on the event, he has been fittingly named the “Godfather” of competitive eating. But now, Kobayashi has officially decided to walk away from the sport for good.
In a recently released Netflix documentary Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut, Kobayashi revealed that he would no longer be competitive eating, citing health concerns for his decision, even saying that his unhealthy eating habits have caused him to have “no appetite or ability to smell food”.
“I want to live a healthy and long life,” said Kobayashi in the documentary, transcribed by TMZ. “So I’ve decided to quit competitive eating contests.”
It’s fairly understandable as to why Kobayashi has made this decision. The sport of competitive eating, while entertaining to some, inherently has negative side effects on the human body over time.
Hopefully Kobayashi’s appetite returns back to normal in the future now that he is officially done with competitive eating.
[TMZ]
