It may not have been the Fourth of July, but famed competitive eaters Joey Chestnut and Takeru Kobayashi still got the chance to thrill Netflix subscription holders by inhaling dozens of hot dogs for the live Labor Day special Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef. Before that though, Kobayashi appeared in another of the best movies on Netflix, Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut, where earlier this year he dived deep into what his profession has done to his body, and after hearing him describe how he no longer feels hunger, it’s gonna be a no for me.
First, let me say there’s nothing about competitive eating that actually looks enticing: Mashed up food being shoved into the participants’ mouths, mess everywhere, the constant threat of someone vomiting. But what’s possibly even more disturbing are the long-lasting effects that kind of thing can have. In Hack Your Health, Takeru Kobayashi delved into his relationship with food, saying:
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.
That sounds downright miserable, to not feel hunger or experience any joy from food. He said in the documentary that he used to crave cakes and curry when he was young, but that since he became a competitive eater, it’s like his brain gets confused because of how much he’s eating when he’s not hungry and not enjoying the food.
Not being able to feel hunger actually sounds pretty dangerous, as his wife said he sometimes realizes he hasn’t eaten anything in three days. Takeru Kobayashi went on to say:
I don’t think there’s anything healthy about what I do. I wonder what damage I’ve done to my body.
Whatever the damage, Takeru Kobayashi was willing to go one more round with Joey Chestnut on Labor Day, as the longtime rivals faced off for the first time in 14 years. Chestnut was banned from this year’s Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest on Independence Day, but he made sure his performance was worth the wait.
On Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef — where many viewers were surprised to see Nikki Bella co-hosting — Joey Chestnut beat his own world record by ingesting 83 wieners and buns, while Takeru Kobayashi finished a still-nauseatingly-impressive 66 dogs.
Joey Chestnut has also opened up in the past about all the gross stuff that happens to his body when taking in that much processed meat. He compared it to post-Thanksgiving bloat, but “really, really bad,” and says he gets the meat sweats, where sticky, smelly hot dog water leaks from his pores and can be smelled by those near him.
After hearing what these competitive eaters have to say about their craft, I think I’m fine to continue consuming a more reasonable amount of hot dogs at the cookout. If for no other reason, I just can’t imagine not being able to listen to my body’s cues of being hungry and full. I also actually like to enjoy my food.
Chestnut vs. Kobayashi: Unfinished Beef is available to stream now, and be sure to check out what else is coming to the 2024 Netflix schedule.
