MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS SERIES

Are Extreme Eating Contests Connected to Binge Eating, a Mental Health Disorder?

18th day of May — anorexia, bulimia and binge eating are all serious mental health eating disorders.

Eating contests are a popular sport in the U.S. and Japan. Have you ever entered an eating competition? I haven’t but can imagine that if I ate that many hotdogs in one sitting, I’d be puking soon thereafter. I don’t even like hotdogs that well. They’re supposed to be the least healthy food ever made, yet it is the most popular eating contest! Take a look at this list of the top ten eating contests in the U.S. You might find something you like and sign up for the next one!

Top Ten Extreme Eating Contests in the U.S. Source: The Mercury News

Hungry? Check out Frommer’s list of 10 competitive eating contests across the country. And don’t be surprised to see San Jose eating stars Joey Chestnut and Matt Stonie’s names in the record books more than once:

10. Big Texan Steak Ranch 72-Ounce Steak Challenge, Amarillo, Texas. This challenge has been on the table since 1962. Record: Molly Shuyler downed three 72-ounce steaks — plus sides! — in 20 minutes in 2015.

9. The World Slugburger Eating Championship, Corinth, Miss. No, it’s not actually slugs. These are deep-fried beef-and-soy meal patties that sold for a nickel (called a slug) in the old days. Record: Matt Stonie, for 43 slugburgers in 10 minutes in 2014.

8. Deep-Fried Asparagus Eating Competition, Stockton. At least there’s something healthful in there somewhere. Record: Joey Chestnut, putting away 12-pounds, 8-ounces in 2014.

7.The World Brain Eating Competition at Zombie Pub Crawl, Minneapolis. Fear not, the brains are actually pork. Record: Joey Chestnut, 54 “brain” tacos in eight minutes in 2013.

6. The Acme Oyster Eating World Championship, New Orleans. This contest in the “Oyster Capital of America” helps raise funds for Gulf Coast Restoration. Record: Sonya Thomas, scarfing 47 dozen — dozen! — oysters in eight minutes in 2012.

5. Niko Niko’s World Gyro Eating Championship, Houston. Record: Joey Chestnut, 30 8-oz gyros in 10 minutes in 2016.

4. The Day-Lee Foods World Gyoza Eating Championship Los Angeles. What’s a Gyoza? It’s a Japanese meat-veggie-filled dumpling, of course. Record: Joey Chestnut, eating 384 gyoza in 10 minutes in 2014.

3. Hooters Worldwide Wing Eating Championship, Las Vegas. Bonus: The Hooters International Swimsuit Pageant is held the same weekend. Record: Joey Chestnut ate 194 Hooters wings in 10 minutes in 2016.

2. Chacho’s World Taco Eating Championship, San Jose. Record: Matt Stonie, 103 tacos in eight minutes in 2015.

1. Nathan’s Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest, Coney Island. The title pretty much says it all. It’s hot dogs on July 4th at Coney Island. It’s considered the Super Bowl of eating competitions. Record: Joey Chestnut, 70 dogs and buns in 10 minutes, 2016.

I’ve never eaten 103 tacos or 47 dozen oysters at one sitting, but I have done some binge eating in times of anxiety and depression. I gravitate toward the sweets such as donuts, caramel popcorn, or ice cream when I binge. It’s always a sneaky thing, I want to do it in secret and not get caught. And it never fails to make me feel overfull and dissatisfied with myself.

Binge eating is a mental health disorder, along with anorexia and bulimia.

The National Institute of Mental Health presents an excellent article about these three eating disorders. I’ve included the definitions below just because I think it’s important to know them as a basis for evaluation, diagnosis, and treatment. You can click on the article to read more.

Eating Disorders Source: NIMH

Binge eating disorder is characterized by recurrent binge eating episodes during which a person feels a loss of control and marked distress over his or her eating. Unlike bulimia nervosa, binge eating episodes are not followed by purging, excessive exercise or fasting. As a result, people with binge eating disorder often are overweight or obese.

Bulimia nervosa is characterized by binge eating (eating large amounts of food in a short time, along with the sense of a loss of control) followed by a type of behavior that compensates for the binge, such as purging (e.g., vomiting, excessive use of laxatives, or diuretics), fasting, and/or excessive exercise. Unlike anorexia nervosa, people with bulimia can fall within the normal range for their weight. But like people with anorexia, they often fear gaining weight, want desperately to lose weight, and are intensely unhappy with their body size and shape.

Anorexia nervosa is characterized by a significant and persistent reduction in food intake leading to extremely low body weight in the context of age, sex, and physical health; a relentless pursuit of thinness; a distortion of body image and intense fear of gaining weight; and extremely disturbed eating behavior. Many people with anorexia see themselves as overweight, even when they are starved or severely malnourished.

Binge-eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the U.S.

Binge-eating disorder Source: NIMH

Binge-eating disorder is a condition where people lose control over their eating and have reoccurring episodes of eating unusually large amounts of food. Unlike bulimia nervosa, periods of binge-eating are not followed by purging, excessive exercise, or fasting. As a result, people with binge-eating disorder often are overweight or obese. Binge-eating disorder is the most common eating disorder in the U.S.

Symptoms include:

🟦 Eating unusually large amounts of food in a specific amount of time, such as a 2-hour period 🟦 Eating even when you’re full or not hungry 🟦 Eating fast during binge episodes 🟦 Eating until you’re uncomfortably full 🟦 Eating alone or in secret to avoid embarrassment 🟦 Feeling distressed, ashamed, or guilty about your eating 🟦 Frequently dieting, possibly without weight loss

Back to the original question — Are Extreme Eating Contests Connected to Binge Eating, a Mental Health Disorder? Just by looking at the few facts included in this article, maybe you can come up with an opinion on that. In my opinion, those kinds of contests appear to have an influence on binge eating if nothing else. I imagine that the contestants' stomachs would stretch painfully out of shape and might not return to normal. Ouch!

Having an eating disorder shouldn’t be taken lightly. In fact, eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental illness. It’s also shown that eating disorders often coexist with other serious mental illnesses.

If you suspect that you have an eating disorder, please don’t hesitate to see a professional for help. It could mean the difference between life and death, literally.

Thanks for reading today’s Mental Health Awareness article. Stay tuned for another one tomorrow. In the meantime, happy reading, writing, and healthy eating!

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