Stuff Your Face

Reported July 2006

PHILADELPHIA (Ivanhoe Broadcast News) -- Ah, summertime grilling, where one hotdog turns into a craving for seconds ... and thirds ... and ... 36 hot dogs in 12 minutes without getting sick?! It's enough to gross out most of us, but competitive eating isn't for everyone. It takes a rare breed, like "Humble" Bob Shoudt, to want to gorge on food.

"I thought, 'It doesn't look that hard to do, so I'll give it a try.' I'll try anything once," Shoudt tells Ivanhoe.

But once wasn't enough, Shoudt continues to compete -- begging the question -- how does he do it? Now, for the first time, gastroenterologists want to study competitive eaters to learn the secrets of power eating.

"These competitive eaters are an interesting group of people who seem to have abilities that many people in the normal population don't have," David Metz, M.D., a gastroenterologist at University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, tells Ivanhoe.

Many competitive eaters train for an event by chugging gallons of water to help stretch the stomach. Others eat large quantities of low-calorie, high-fiber foods, like cabbage, that stay in the stomach longer before breaking down. Doctors believe expert eaters may have the ability to keep eating after they're full by suppressing the stomach signals to the brain that indicate it's satisfied.

"As the food starts emptying into the small bowel, that switches on hormone stimuli. If those are dampened or blocked, you can eat beyond it," Dr. Metz says.

And, ever notice many winners are thin? It's possible their stomachs can expand more since there is little fat to push against it. Dr. Metz says, "As long as the stomach can relax, they'll be able to get more in, relative to the guy who is big and has a lot of abdominal fat."

Doctors hope studying competitive eaters will help learn more about gastric diseases and learn what it took to beat Shoudt, who placed a proud second in this contest. The winner devoured 36-and-a-half hotdogs, eight more than Shoudt could swallow!

Click here to Go Inside This Science or contact:

American Gastroenterological Association
Bethesda, MD 20814
(301) 654-2055
member@gastro.org

Nathan's Famous Fourth of July International Hot Dog Eating Contest is July 4. See how these power-eaters are able to break records.

Explosives ... toxic chemicals ... criminals. When it comes to sniffing out trouble, wasps may be better than dogs.

They may look silly, but these researchers know why we get around by walking and running instead of skipping.

This complete map of dog genes explains why some dogs are playful and others are serious -- and helps identify human diseases, too.

Will La Niņa add fuel to this year's hurricane season?

1.4 million are arrested each year for driving under the influence. This high-tech go-cart may help put the brakes on impaired drivers.

Two scientists believe they've solved a mystery that's defied explanation for more than 400 years.

Predicting when vacation beach pollution will be the worst by looking up at the moon.

What boats, whales and rainfall sound like under the sea.

"Jesus Bugs" inspire this water-walking robot.

The amazing way the body can be tricked into healing a failing heart.

This tiny device could help lower the cost of your prescriptions.