Death by Pancake

The nausea. The heartburn. The indigestion.

We’ve all had a time where one bite turns to ten and Pepto-Bismol becomes our best friend.

Fortunately, the effects of overeating are usually brief. We go into a minor food coma, have to pop open the top button of our jeans and vow to never scarf down another slice of stuffed crust again. Which, of course, is a complete lie.

Our binges can’t have immediately dire consequences. Or so we think.

_{Boris Isayey a 48-year-old Russian competitive eater, died in an all-you-can-eat contest last week. After successfully stuffing himself on 43 cream-and-banana filled pancakes, Isayey collapsed to his knees, started foaming at the mouth and then died on stage just as he was receiving his award. He was participating in a competition that marked the end of the region’s “Pancake Week.”}

Competitive eating contests have become a phenomenon. There’s even a franchise organization for professional competitive eaters, the Major League Eating [MLE]. Takeru “The Tsunami” Kobayashi has become a legend for his food feats, most famously his ability to eat 53 ¾ hot dogs in 12 minutes. He was even named him one of the most dominating athletes in history by ESPN.

Successful contestants can make bank. The winner of the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship takes home $20,000, which is currently the largest competitive eating prize. But professional eaters take part in many contests each year. The most talented don’t eat to live; they make a living eating.

Being competitive and, yes, someone who loves to eat, I once participated in an all-you-can-eat fest in Macomb, Illinois. The town’s attractions include Western Illinois University, cornfields and, as of 2005, various competitive eating challenges. Needless to say, the showdown draws quite a crowd.

My belly buster: Watermelon. Sounds wimpy, right? Wrong. I chowed my way to 2nd place in the contest, behind my younger sister, Jamie who weighs 110 pounds but can eat nearly an entire gallon of ice cream in one sitting. We worked our way through seeds and skin until we were sick.

My $25 prize did, however, make my stomachache subside.

Competitive eating events are supposed to be fun, not fatal. Yet Isayey’s death by pancake shows that overindulgence can have more dramatic consequences than a session with the pseudo-sweet pink stuff.

Check out the competitive eater’s hall-of-fame here.