Why To Not Enter Eating Contests

A 41 year old man died after winning a taco-eating contest in Fresno, California. He had a strategy, but the Jumbotron screen went dark, as Dana Andrew Hutchings began to choke. Emergency medical personnel attempted to clear his airways, but Mr. Hutchings passed away about 30 minutes later.

The day was hot. He was diabetic.

At our local burger joint, photos on the Wall of Fame are next to photos on the Wall of Shame. Those who are able to successfully eat the 4-pound “Monster Burger” in 30 minutes go on the Fame wall, and well, those who can’t …

I couldn’t watch a young man trying to accomplish this feat. I expected an eruption of vomitus any minute as he looked more and more uncomfortable.

The human body is uniquely designed to survive. When too much food is ingested, the body’s response is to empty the stomach in any way possible.

Why? It’s all about oxygen, of course. Digestion requires an enormous amount of oxygen – even more than the next biggest user, the brain. Processing food to create the energy necessary for life is a huge task.

When there is too much food and not enough oxygen to process that food, vomit happens. Sadly for Mr. Hutchings, the heat and the organic burden of tacos affected his oxygen levels and his automatic response was faulty. May he rest in peace.