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Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi, the six-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, has announced his retirement from the sport due to rising health concerns.
"I’ve decided to retire from competitive eating. It’s all I've done for the last 20 years," Kobayashi, 46, announced in Netflix's "Hack Your Health - The Secrets of Your Gut," a documentary film that explores how food, the digestive system and gut health relates to overall well-being.
Kobayashi said decades of overeating for sport has left him with no appetite or no sensation of fullness, which his wife Maggie James said has caused Kobayashi to go days without eating anything at all.
James said her husband feels his body is "broken."
"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," Kobayashi said in the documentary. "I hope to live a long and healthy life."
"I’ve decided to retire from competitive eating. It’s all I've done for the last 20 years," Kobayashi, 46, announced in Netflix's "Hack Your Health - The Secrets of Your Gut," a documentary film that explores how food, the digestive system and gut health relates to overall well-being.
Kobayashi said decades of overeating for sport has left him with no appetite or no sensation of fullness, which his wife Maggie James said has caused Kobayashi to go days without eating anything at all.
James said her husband feels his body is "broken."
"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," Kobayashi said in the documentary. "I hope to live a long and healthy life."
Competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi feels body is 'broken,' retires due to health issues
Japanese competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi, the six-time Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest champion, retired because of irreparable harm to his body.
www.usatoday.com