Kumari Shreya
Takeru “Kobi” Kobayashi’s appearance in Netflix’s ‘Hack Your Health: The Secrets of Your Gut’ was certainly intriguing for many as the well-known competitive eater opened up about his struggles related to food. As someone who has built a career around food, his troubles highlighted how he was being impacted by his inability to feel hunger. The openness showcased by Kobi regarding his health and the decisions he undertook due to the same was one of the key issues addressed in the documentary.
Takeru Kobayashi Became a Famous Competitive Eater
Hailing from Nagano, Japan, Takeru “Kobi” Kobayashi rose to fame in the early 2000s as a competitive eater. In 2000, he won the Guttony Championship of ‘TV Champion’ thanks to him consuming 16 ramen bowls within an hour. This was only the start of his career, as he would go on to set many records over the years. Between 2001 and 2006, he won the Nathan’s Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest six times. Three times of these six, he had broken previous records, having set two of them himself.
Despite being such a record-setting for Nathan’s Coney Island Hot Dog Eating Contest, Kobi wasn’t seen in the competition after 2010. The competitive eater claimed that this was because the event organizers had wanted him to sign an exclusive contract, which he had refused to do. He attended the event and seemingly got on the stage in the hopes that his fans would state that he should be allowed to eat. However, this resulted in Kobi being arrested and Nathan’s ultimately removing his photo from their Wall of Fame.
Additionally, Kobi won the 2002 Glutton Bowl and 2005 Alka-Seltzer US Open of Competitive Eating, both of which were hosted by the International Federation of Competitive Eating (IFOCE). During his long career, the competitive eater has also been part of some exciting events. In 2003, he actually had to compete against a Kodiak bear on ‘Man vs. Beast,’ and though he lost the on-screen competition, the event was interesting enough for his fans to watch with interest.
With a strict regimen and a trademark body wiggle, Kobi established himself as a prominent presence in the competitive eating circles. He has also appeared on many television shows as a guest or participant, like ‘Fear Factor’ and ‘Late Night with Jimmy Fallon.’ With the rise of the internet, his feats also became celebrated by those who came across his videos. Given the man’s title of “The Godfather of Competitive Eating,” it is hardly a wonder that he has also become someone to be referenced across various entertainment projects.
During his appearance on the Netflix show, Kobi opened up about how he was struggling with his mental health, given that he had slowly lost the ability to feel hunger. In order to address this issue, he approached various experts to see if his gut bacteria could tell him what was wrong with him. However, Kobi was told that his gut activity looked to be completely fine and that they could not find any specific microbe that might be responsible for his apparent lack of appetite.
Takeru Kobayashi is Now Retired
Given Takeru “Kobi” Kobayashi’s earnest attempts to find a solution to his lack of appetite during the Netflix documentary, his decision to retire as a competitive eater did not surprise many. After all, the Japanese man had openly admitted that the issue was taking a toll on his mental health, and as such, his decision to step down was seemingly made to help him overcome this monumental hurdle in his health. Throughout it all, he retained the support of his loving wife, Yukako “Maggie” James. The couple also has two children whom they adore very much.
Splitting his time between Japan and New York, Kobi may have retired as a competitive eater but is not completely cut off from the world of entertainment and publicity. In the recent past, he has worked on projects like ‘The Good, The Bad, The Hungry’ and ‘Scarf Face.’ The former focuses on Kobi’s rivalry with Joey Chestnut, while the latter provides an insight into the world of competitive eating itself.
Despite his retirement, there are several records that are still in Kobi’s name and are yet to be bested. This includes him eating 110 unless hotdogs at the New York State Fair and consuming 60 bunless hot dogs in 2 minutes and 35 seconds at the 2012 Texas State Fair. A few years prior to his retirement, he even set a record at the Krystal Square Off World Hamburger Eating Championship by downing 97 hamburgers. Even today, his impact on the world of competitive eating is one that can hardly be ignored and will likely continue to serve as an inspiration to all those who are or will be a part of the field.
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