Takeru Kobayashi retires from competitive eating
24 May - Six-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, Takeru Kobayashi is calling it quits on competitive eating.
The popular Japanese competitive eater, nicknamed "Tsunami", announced his retirement in a new Netflix documentary called, "Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut", saying that he wants to live a healthy and long life after his losing appetite and the ability to smell food.
"I hear people say they're hungry, and they look very happy after they've eaten. I'm jealous of those people because I no longer feel hunger," he said.
Kobayashi, who estimated that he has eaten around 10,000 hot dogs throughout his 20-year career, admitted that he had often wondered what kind of damage he has done to his body since starting his career, and that after undergoing a series of tests, found that the region in his brain associated with eating is trained to think he is competing whenever he sees food.
"I've decided to retire from competitive eating. It's all I've done for the last 20 years. I am worried about what my next step will bring, but I am also excited about my future. I have mixed feelings," he said.
(Photo Source: Takeru Kobayashi IG, Fox News)
