Get Paid To Eat More

Who could have imagined - competitive eating is becoming a well paid "sport" (via A Full Belly). There is even a ruling body - the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE).

While big purses are still rare -- not much more than $100,000 was ladled out in 2004 -- that should jump to near $200,000 this year. Winners can garner as much as $10,000 in a single event -- the Krystal Square-Off World Hamburger Eating Contest in Chattanooga Tennessee hosted by Krystal Restaurants, a hamburger chain.

The statistics are stomach-churning: The Black Widow can wolf down 46 dozen oysters in 10 minutes. 137-pound japanese man Takeru Kobayashi can down 69 burgers in 8 minutes.

Maybe I've lost my sense of humor, but I wonder if the federation will host a competition in, say, Sudan, or anywhere in Africa for that matter. Strange that half the world starves why others pay money to get people to stuff themselves silly.

I wonder where the sponsorship/winners money comes from? Fast food outlets maybe?