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'Urges contrary to swallowing': An amateur enters the strange world of competitive eating

David A. Arnott recently took approximately eight years off his life by doing this…

It came about as many exciting things do, on a whim. For some reason or other, in early April I found myself on the Nathan's Famous Hot Dogs web site, staring at a blinking message soliciting applications to compete in the company's annual hot dog eating contest that culminates with an orgy of consumption at Coney Island on July 4th, broadcast by ESPN. On a whim, I entered the competition's qualifier in Charlotte, NC. My friends and family weren't exactly thrilled by this decision.