# The Limits of Competitive Eating? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 2, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063 "2009-11-02T16:42:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/1 "2009-11-02T16:42:26Z")
Assuming one is eating food that is neither poisonous, nor carcinogenic, nor tainted, nor whatever, is it possible for a person to eat his/herself to death at one sitting? Or does the digestive system employ some foolproof fail-safe to prevent that from happening? Further, what is the theortetical maximum amount of food that a human could eat at one sitting before he/she dies? ---
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/2 "2009-11-03T01:17:45Z")
The fail safe system my body employed during the one eating contest I entered was to barf all over the place. I ate 17 tacos, the first bite of number 18 triggered the gag reflex then all heck broke loose. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 1:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/3 "2009-11-03T01:55:44Z")
We did not evolve in a place where food was super-abundant, and we’d have to develop a way to push the food through our bodies faster. An excess of food has to go somewhere, usually back up where it came from. The only alternative is for your stomach to rupture. ---
**Author:** ![Fastidiots](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/51bf81/32.png) [@Fastidiots](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fastidiots)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 5:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/4 "2009-11-03T05:04:39Z")
The limit is always your linoleum. ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/5 "2009-11-03T05:33:16Z")
> [@racer72](#): > > The fail safe system my body employed during the one eating contest I entered was to barf all over the place. I ate 17 tacos, the first bite of number 18 triggered the gag reflex then all heck broke loose. I believe the correct contest phrase is “you suffered a reversal”, not that “all heck broke loose”. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 6:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/6 "2009-11-03T06:22:51Z")
I can’t answer your question specifically, but there was recently a segment on the “Colbert Report” about a guy who ate a 15-pound hamburger. It is viewable online here: [Part I](http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/250627/october-01-2009/eating-the-distance---the-brad-sciullo-story) [Part II](http://www.colbertnation.com/the-colbert-report-videos/251046/october-05-2009/eating-the-distance---the-brad-sciullo-story-pt--2) So, a human being can eat at least 15-pounds worth of beef / mayo / etc. without dying, so long as you train properly first. ---
**Author:** ![Aspidistra](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aspidistra/32/3894_2.png) [@Aspidistra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aspidistra)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 8:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/7 "2009-11-03T08:43:46Z")
Has anyone ever actually died in one of those competitions? Apart from the lady who drank herself to death in the “Hold your wee for a Wii” one ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 10:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/8 "2009-11-03T10:03:44Z")
> [@Aspidistra](#): > > Has anyone ever actually died in one of those competitions? It seems that choking to death is a hazard in such circumstances. [Here](http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7262435.stm) is a story about a guy who allegedly choked to death on a surfeit of fairy cakes (cupcakes elsewhere, I believe). I sincerely hope his gravestone makes no mention of this. In typical official language, the police spokesman said “The issue concerning cakes is something we are looking at as a contributory factor in his passing.” Next up are [marshmallows](http://www.cbc.ca/canada/toronto/story/2006/09/15/marshmallow-death.html). That contest features “people stuffing one marshmallow at a time into their mouth then saying “chubby bunny” until they can’t say it anymore. The person who gags, chokes or spits out the marshmallows loses.” Pancakes, and buns filled with rice and cheese have also been instrumental in the demise of a couple of contestants at two other eating competitions. ---
**Author:** ![Chez\_Guevara](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Chez\_Guevara](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chez_Guevara)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 10:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/9 "2009-11-03T10:13:22Z")
More careful reading on my part reveals that the [buns with rice and cheese man](http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,443889,00.html) “began vomiting uncontrollably and then lost consciousness and died”. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [November 3, 2009, 10:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/10 "2009-11-03T10:56:19Z")
i think ill just pass on the eating competitions, thanks … ---
**Author:** ![Savannah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b3f665/32.png) [@Savannah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Savannah)\ **Post date:** [November 4, 2009, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-limits-of-competitive-eating/516063/11 "2009-11-04T02:33:15Z")
I couldn’t find a good article about the UK woman who was bulimic and binged to an extent that her stomach ruptured, causing death. The amount of food in her stomach was astounding.