Famous Japanese Food Fighter Kobayashi Takeru Retires
Once Devoured 65 Hot Dogs in One Sitting
"Not Hungry Even After 3 Days" Brain Abnormality Detected
World-renowned food fighter Kobayashi Takeru (46) has announced his retirement, revealing that he no longer feels hunger. On the 20th (local time), Hong Kong's South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported, "The 'speed eating contest champion' who once devoured 65 hot dogs in one sitting has declared retirement because he no longer feels hungry."
Kobayashi participating in a fast eating contest. [Image source=Captured from Kobayashi Takeru's Instagram]
Kobayashi is a Japanese food fighter who made a name for himself at the age of 23 by eating 60 plates of sushi, 2.7 kg of potatoes, and 16 bowls of ramen in a Japanese competition. He has won the world-famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest in New York, USA, six consecutive times. In a competition in Taiwan, he consumed 5,500g of lamb stew in 24 minutes, and in Hong Kong, he won by eating 100 char siu bao (steamed pork buns) in 12 minutes. It is known that he earns over 100 million yen (approximately 870 million KRW) annually by participating in such contests.
However, news of his retirement was recently revealed through the Netflix documentary "Hacking Health: The Secrets of the Gut," released on the 26th of last month. This documentary delves deeply into the human digestive system, analyzing the relationship between the gut, diet, and health.
Kobayashi appeared in the documentary and shocked people by saying, "I am no longer hungry." He explained, "By eating too much, I lost the ability to smell food and began to ignore bodily signals such as satiety." His wife also reported that Kobayashi did not feel hungry even after not eating anything for three days.
What is the cause of the loss of appetite experienced by food fighters? The problem lies not in Kobayashi's gut but in his brain. When he sees food, all areas of the brain related to eating, nausea, and satiety are activated, so he does not feel hunger. Neuropsychologist Annie Gupta explained, "Kobayashi's brain still thinks it is in a state of eating processed food." Medical experts advised Kobayashi to "learn to listen to simple smells, sensations, or even the most basic signals from the body."
Kobayashi revealed that he decided to retire because he wants to live a long and healthy life. He said, "I have participated in various eating contests for the past 20 years," adding, "Although I am worried about the consequences of my retirement decision, the most important thing is that I want to fix my brain and gut."
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