Japanese Competitive Eater Takeru Kobayashi has announced his retirement in a new Netflix documentary in which the six-time winner of the famous Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest reveals he no longer has an appetite.
Kobayashi, 46, opened up about her health problems in the movie “Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut.” He estimated that throughout her 20-year career, she has eaten around 10,000 hot dogs.
Takeru Kobayashi of Japan sits exhausted after downing 44 hot dogs at the annual hot dog eating contest at Coney Island on July 4, 2003 in New York City. Kobayashi, who set a world record of 50 1/2 hot dogs in last year's contest, won easily again this year. (Chris Hondros/Getty Images)
“I hear people say that they are hungry and they look very happy after they have eaten,” Kobayashi said in the documentary. “I'm jealous of those people because I don't feel hungry anymore.”
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The informative film follows the lives of four people, each of whom has their own digestive health problems. Kobayashi talks about his lack of appetite, which his wife revealed has led the competitive eater to go days without eating.
“Ever since I started this career, I've wondered what damage I've done to my body,” he said.
Japan's Takeru Kobayashi, the all-time world record holder who ate 50 hot dogs and buns in 12 minutes in 2001, breaks his own record in 2002 by eating 50 1/2 hot dogs and buns. (Mychal Watts/WireImage)
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After undergoing a series of tests, Kobayashi is informed that while his gut microbiome He seemed fine, his brain scans were cause for concern, a wake-up call that ultimately led him to quit the sport. .
“I've decided to retire from competitive eating. It's all I've done for the last 20 years. I'm worried about what my next step will bring, but I'm also excited about my future. I have mixed feelings.”
Competitive eater Takeru Kobayashi challenges the contestants of the 2011 Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest via satellite at 230 Fifth Avenue on July 4, 2011 in New York City. (Cindy Ord/Getty Images)
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Although taking a step back, Kobayashi won't be removing hot dogs from the menu anytime soon.
“Throughout my career, what has influenced me more than competitive eating is the hot dog. I want to create a healthier hot dog by combining it with healthy Japanese ingredients.”
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