ESSAY KIT what you need to write a perfect essay everything from tubs of chili cheese fries to vats of baked beans. Eating contests may seem like harmless fun, but they have a dark side—and some critics are saying it’s time for them to stop.

It’s Tradition Should Shoving crazy amounts of food down our throats is nothing new. We Ban Gorging banquets were a regular part of ancient Roman culture. Meat-eating contests appear in Competitive Icelandic mythology from the 1200s. In the 1800s, some politicians settled bets through Eating? eating challenges. Pie-eating contests have been a Fourth of July tradition for more than a century. For pros like Brunelli, though, eating contests are more than tradition. They are a path to fame and fortune. set a (MLE), which oversees professional record for eating 69 contests, doles out thousands of hot dogs and buns in 10 minutes. dollars in prize money each year. Winners can also earn big bucks Puking. Choking. Wasting food. in sponsorship deals. World- Is it time for this wacky tradition to end? famous eater is reportedly worth a million dollars. BY SARAH McCARRY WITH ADEE BRAUN

he clock is ticking. David and shoves it back in his mouth. Is It Safe? Brunelli has just scarfed He knows the rules: Puking means But prize money does nothing down a huge burger. Now disqualification. to reduce the health risks of all he has to do is polish Welcome to the world of , which include Toff a pile of fries and a jug of water competitive eating. obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and and he could win this competition. Brunelli is part of a select group severe stomach problems. The crowd roars excitedly as he of competitors who vie for the glory Competitive eating can even furiously downs fistfuls of fries. of eating massive quantities of food be life-threatening. In 1991, a man Suddenly, a stream of food spews as quickly as possible. In thousands in Virginia suffered a stroke after from his mouth. Thinking fast, he of contests around the world each eating 38 eggs in 29 seconds; in

cups his hands, catching the vomit, year, competitive eaters devour 2004, a Japanese woman choked SETH WENIG/AP IMAGES (JOEY CHESTNUT)

16 SCHOLASTIC SCOPE • APRIL 2015 ALEX BRANDON/AP IMAGES (TAKERU KOBAYASHI) Here Stay to medical personnelonhand. regulatedstrictly andalwayshave events sanctionedby theMLEare tragedies are rare. Plus, theysay, are quicktopointoutthatsuch to callforabanoneatingcontests. contest—leading agroup ofdoctors a cockroach- andworm-eating afterwinning man diedshortly contest. In Florida, in2012,a cake–eating arice to deathduring In to anyevent, therisk Fans ofcompetitive eating article tosupporteachsideofthedebate. Should webancompetitiveeating?Writeevidencefromthe What Do You Think? 3 2 1 below. Thiscanbecomethethesis statementforanargumentessay. WELL AS YOUR OWN BELIEFS. EXAMINE POINTS ON BOTH SIDES OF THEDEBATE—AS wasting food. wasting Competitive eating promotes promotes eating Competitive Ban competitiveeating! YES Stateyouropinioninonesentence world where 805millionpeople overeating.glamorizing And,ina example byeating setsaterrible are overweight, andcompetitive Nearly two-thirds ofAmericans ofthestory.is onlypart competitors 337 wings in 30minutes! Takeru Kobayashi onceate 3 2 1 Competitive eating rocks! Competitive eatingrocks!

SCOPE.SCHOLASTIC.COM • SCOPE.SCHOLASTIC.COM Do you really wanttofindout? world record. in5minutes, breaking the set: of ate182strips This year, newrecords have been Famous Hot DogEatingContest. tuned intoESPNwatchNathan’s more thanthree millionviewers contests are here tostay. Lastyear, wasteful butcallous. seemsnotjust entertainment quantitiesoffoodfor ridiculous day, every go hungry downing NO TEMPLATE. OUR ESSAY USING FURTHER! WRITE AN TAKE THIS ACTIVITY What record willbebroken next? For now, though,itseemseating SCOPE

APRIL 2015 ACTIVITY GET THIS Debate ONLINE

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