Conversations with an Over-Eater: Part 2

‎'Over-eating': a 'sport' or just an excuse for fat chaps to get fatter?

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    Jimmy Miller if its there, eat it, thats what keeps me in shape lol
    

    16 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas Competitive eating is a sanctioned sport!
    

    16 hours ago · 
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    Frederick Rothe III Both.
    

    16 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas And us 'fat chaps' have a hell of a lot of fun competing.
    

    16 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais 
    

    Well, here's my tuppence-worth: No sport should be about over-consumption without use of those calories for physical benefit.
    While bodybuilders and strngth trainers may consume the same or more calories than you, the reason they do it is to feed their bodies so that it converts into muscle and is used by the body.
    The calories you consume are used for nothing (unless you pursue another activity). But if over-eating IS your activity and do not pursue anything else, it is purely over-eating for the sake of over-eating
    It does not contain any physical benefit.
    And arguably involves little or any skill.

    
    
    

    16 hours ago ·  ·  1 person
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    Neil Thomas It involves will power and a huge amount of determination to eat until it hurts, then push on and consume even more. Walking the fine line between keeping down twelve Big Macs or reguritating them on the retaurant floor is no easy feat. The skill is, mind over matter.
    

    15 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais Yeh, not what I call a sport.
    

    15 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas Wrong again! Don't you ever get tired of being wrongJohnny?! If a sport is defined as something that pushes your body to it's limits and takes a lot of training and discipline, then it is.
    

    15 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais 
    

    As I said, not what I call a 'sport', not MY interpretation. A sport should indeed be about pushing the body to its limit, but a limit that demonstrates the human body functioning at its most effective, its best and that demonstrates a degree of skill. Using your argument you could say that self-harming could be a sport if they made people compete at it. Over-eating is a form of self-harm that indeed pushes your body to a limit, a DANGEROUS one, and, in my opinion, requires very little 'skill'. The ability to shove large amounts of food in a short time period is not what I would class as a skill. It is an ability, I cannot deny that, but it is not a skillfull ability. Skill is about using calculation, about strategy, about using both the physical and the mental to accomplish something in the most effective way or in the way that the 'sport' requires. That, combined with my previous comment about a sport being about using the body in a positive way, and not, intentionally harming (although injuries are often the result of some sports, sometimes even directly i.e. boxing) oneself in the process, negates, in my opinion, 'over-eating' as a competitive activity that deserves to be called a 'sport'.

    
    
    

    15 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas I think you're purposely over complicating it. But like you said, boxing is a popular sport. It's known to 'cause adverse physical conditions. Sure, I've gained some pound's since I began competitive eating and eating challenges but eating four days worth of saturated fats in 20 minutes will do that (bet that'd give you nightmares). Still, I strongly recommend you try it, don't knock it 'till then.
    

    15 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais Sure, the point of boxing is to harm the other person. However, in the process of becoming a boxer, you prime your body to be the fittest, strongest and most effective physical machine it can be. I'm not overcomplicating anhything. 'Over-eating' is not a sport. It is self-harm. Simple. I cannot encourage self-harm on any level.
    

    15 hours ago ·  ·  2 people
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    Peter Collins I eat like a horse and im still a skinny C**t..... LOL
    

    15 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas Self-harm?! Drama queen! So, I'm gettin' kinda heavy but like any sport, there comes a time to retire. Fat is just unused power after all.
    

    13 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais 
    

    With the greatest of respect... bullshit! Excess fat can be life-threatening. You can call it a 'sport' and use it as your excuse for being unhealthy, clogging your arteries with excess fat and thereby increasing your risk to heart failures, increasing the pressure on your heart and on your joints, but I call it self harm and physical abuse. I believe parents of fat children are responsible for child abuse. If you wish to inflict that abuse on your own body, then that's your choice. But don't try and hide it behind the glory of a pathetic activity you are calling a 'sport'. 'Over-eating' is over-eating. Is not a sport, its not clever, it is detrimental to anyone's health unless they are doing another activity that warrants them consuming huge amounts of calories. You are not. That is all.

    
    
    

    13 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas Lay off the fat lads, we've enough on our plates, ha, ha!
    

    13 hours ago · 
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    Andy Mann lmao @ Neil!
    

    13 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais I have no problem with fat people. I just don't think that it is an activity that should be encouraged.
    

    13 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas The aim isn't to gain weight. Any food can be used, doesn't have to be of the junk variety (although it tastes the best, admit it). My eater's nick name is Glutton#1. My aim is to consume mass quantities of ANY food.
    

    13 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais Overeating of any food type is excessive.
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas Fun to, you forget that part!
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais Lots of things that can be done to excess can be fun. Does not mean we encourage it.
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas Who's this 'we'? I do it in training and in the context of the sport.
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais Blah, blah, 'training', blah, blah 'sport'. You're saying all the right words, but using them to hide behind the fact that it is self-inflicted abuse. Why don't you just see how many compasses you can poke in your eye?
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas I can admit that there's a certain, basic, physical thrill to gorging on McDonalds and junk. But the competitive eating is a good way of organising that kind of gluttony into a fun event.
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais 
    

    So, here we are. We are now dealing with the reality. Its is a 'fun' event. AGREED. It is about 'gluttony'. AGREED. Can I see how some warped individuals have so little respect for their bodies that they happily and regularly consume such vast amounts of calories, particularly bad calories (i.e. junk/processed foods)? Sure, I can just about get my head around it. Should we be encouraging this behaviour? Not in my opinion. When Britain (even thought I know you are in Ireland) now has the highest rate of obesity in the EU, I think activities like over-eating should definitely be discouraged, particularly not allowed to be labelled as a 'sport'. It should classified with other such stupid and pointless activities as burping and farting contests. Yes, we can all shove stupid amounts of food in our mouth, but its not clever, its not skillful, doesn't require much (if any) physical prowess and is damaging to the body if pursued as a regular activity.

    
    
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais Oh, and if you're not discouraged just yet, here's proof that it can kill you:
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas I haven't found it damaging to my body and I'm pretty much still alive to.
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais Anyway, made my point. You want to do, its your choice. I just don't think it should be encouraged or should be allowed to be called a 'sport'. If you're having fun and you enjoy, well, thats all that matters, isn't it?
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas Ok, enjoy your salad.
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais Haha. You have no idea! If all I ate was salad, I would be extremely thin.
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas Yes, ok. Chicken salad? Cous cous?
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Johnny Anglais Now we're getting there. And actually, if you must know, I like a McDonalds too. And when I go, I have 3 burgers - a big mac, a quarter pounder and a chicken burger (no fries). But I'm doing enough exercise to warrant consuming those amount of calories and I try not to do it too often.
    

    12 hours ago · 
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    Neil Thomas Well I eat that and more, but not every day. I don't just eat to stomach stretch, mostly just eat to eat! But I'd allow myself a take-away or fast food once a day. And I always have the fries, best bit!
    

    12 hours ago ·