How fast you finish your meal may significantly affect how well you can control your weight and your health.

Joey Chestnut, a speed-eating champ, kept his title as champion by eating 62 hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes at the Brooklyn, New York event on Coney Island, July 4th, 2023. In 2022, Chestnut ate 63 hot dogs and buns to win. He became the hot dog-eating world champion in 2021 when he ate 76 hot dogs and buns in one sitting.

The record for women is 48.5 hot dogs and buns, held by Miki Sudo, who has won eight times. In 2023, Sudo won first place with 39.5 hot dogs and buns. We have to wonder how people prepare for these championships and what they need to do afterward because common sense tells us there must be a price to be paid for this type of eating. Yes, it's all in the training.

“Every practice, I record it and I try to push a little bit harder and figure out what I can do differently. You can only practice so much. If I practice too much, I start gaining weight, and if I start gaining weight, then I start slowing down. So it’s a weird double-edged sword. You have to love to eat, but you can’t eat so much that it becomes unhealthy.”

The secret to Joey Chestnut’s success is that he trains, which includes dieting, practice rounds, and cleanses as he prepares for a competition. He has also perfected special jaw-and-mouth exercises over the years that enable him to swallow all of those hotdogs and buns quickly. None of this, however, is advised for anyone concerned about their health and sensibly controlling their weight.

Sadly, our busy lives often leave us little time to enjoy our meals. When we travel to places where locals appreciate meals as enjoyable experiences, we can have leisurely meals instead of rushing through them. I recall a trip to Bray, Ireland, where all the shops, including the banks, closed just after noon and didn't open again until three. It was a time for an enjoyable, lengthy lunch. The waiter in a small restaurant saw we were tourists and did the best to accommodate us, even though the place was closed until three.

The American Medical Association believes that competitive eating is unhealthy, just like many others concerned about its impact on health. Sadly, several reports of deaths linked to problems arising from this extreme form of eating have shown how dangerous the seemingly harmless thrill of competitive eating is.

Observations suggest that successful speed eaters expand the stomach to form an enormous flaccid sac capable of accommodating huge amounts of food. It’s speculated that professional speed eaters eventually may develop morbid obesity, profound gastroparesis, intractable nausea and vomiting, and even the need for a gastrectomy. Despite its growing popularity, competitive speed eating is a potentially self-destructive form of behavior.

Because these champions are driven to eat more food quickly and in larger amounts, they ignore their bodies’ signals that they are full and satisfied while they train. Over time, their stomachs can get so big that they lose the sensation of feeling full. This can have significant effects, as they may not be able to experience the normal feelings of fullness and pleasure after a meal. In this situation, the chance of becoming overweight and having health problems related to it increases significantly.

What we eat and how we eat are guided by what is normally advisable to maintain a healthy weight and attitude. However, eating can become a coping mechanism for some people, causing them to gain an excessive amount of weight.

At that point, they are in danger of death and may require extraordinary efforts, including surgical intervention, to help them regain control of their eating, their emotional needs, and their physical health. Too often, their bodies have been stressed to the point that a return to health may not be possible. We see this on reality TV shows, which depend on such a sad situation for their existence.

What simple practices should you incorporate into your life regarding meals and eating? It's not hard, and once you begin and it becomes a habit, you will have achieved a major goal for yourself.

When you eat more slowly, you can make better choices and savor the meal. Instead of grabbing something on the go, taking the time to prepare your food can help you eat sensibly, which can help you lose unwanted and unhealthy weight every year.

Be aware of your mealtimes to put this into practice. Allow yourself this time to relax. Don’t talk on the phone, do turn off the TV, and don’t use your laptop or other gadgets while eating. Awareness of your surroundings while eating can make it more enjoyable and prevent issues like acid reflux or feeling overly full.

This is about being mindful and relaxed during mealtime, enjoying the preparation process, and choosing what you want to eat. If you find yourself rushing, stop and ask yourself what's the reason. Do you really need to rush through this meal? That's not in your best interest, and unless it's something very important that must be done right now and your meal has to be rushed, do not do it.

Maintaining a healthy weight with diet and exercise is one of your primary goals because it will help. You will be happier, and your social life will not entirely revolve around physician appointments. I know that sounds flippant, but it's in your hands, and you decide here.

Many people can offer you tips, and you can easily find diets online, like the Mediterranean diet, which is highly recommended for everyone. Find what works for you. Dietitians and medical personnel tout the value of that diet in almost every aspect of your health. And good health brings good mental health.