I was watching an episode of Supernatural, and it started off with a person who’d just been in an eating contest. It got me to thinking about all the eating contests that take place all over the US, and in other places around the world. I have a huge problem with these competitions, and I for one, think that they should be banned.

There are people all over the world who are starving. I know it’s easy to forget about people who are starving in other countries though. We often turn a blind eye to that reality. However, I can almost guarantee that wherever there is an eating contest being held, there are people within 20 miles of that location who are hungry and don’t have enough to eat. Hunger is everywhere, even right in our own cities and towns.

So I have to wonder, how can the people who enter these competitions sleep at night? They shove countless pounds of food into their faces and call it a sport, while people in that very area are going hungry. And it’s not just homeless people, many working people and their families don’t have enough to eat and go hungry. I wonder if they even bother to think about it. They already have more than enough to eat, and yet engage in displays of gross gluttony. Not only are they wasting food by consuming these huge quantities, their gluttony is rewarded with fame and money while those other people are going hungry.

I put this in the same category as food establishments that encourage people to eat huge portions to get their picture on the wall and get free food. These things should never happen. What’s really horrible is that big brands often sponsor these eating contests. They put money into and encourage this gluttony. It’s so wrong in my opinion. All that food could be given to people in need instead of being wasted like that. I’m pretty sure that no hungry person is going to turn down hot dogs, wings or pies. Food is food when you don’t have enough.

If I had any say about it, I would make eating contests and most food art (when done with still edible food) a thing of the past. I see no reason for wasting food when people are hungry. Now, I have heard of some people doing food art or biggest food items and then allowing the community to eat the result. That’s actually cool, but wasting food is never okay. Hunger is too big of a problem in our world. We need to be more conscious and stand up against waste. The eating contests in particular should be done away with, both in eating establishments and the big, sponsored ones.

How do you feel about eating contests and other food waste done in the name of entertainment?

Briana Blair

Briana Blair is an author and artisan. She has published more then 30 books and thousands of articles across multiple sites. After practicing Paganism and witchcraft for 25 years, she's now on a journey as an atheist and skeptic. She's eclectic, unpredictable, and always evolving. Facebook - Twitter