The book Horsemen of the
Esophagus by Jason Fagone is about not only eating in America, but its
influence and also competitive eating. The book begins with a quote from famous
writer E.L. Doctorow from the book Ragtime. The quote describes
president William Howard Taft and how he represented the American spirit by
being “fat”. It ends by saying, “His (Taft) great figure immediately expressed
the apotheosis of that style of man.” Over-eating, being fat, or whatever you
want to call it might’ve been good 100 years ago, but not anymore.
America has taken pride in eating contests. Who can eat
the most amount of food summarizes the American spirit. The first chapter of
the book describes a grilled cheese sandwich-eating contest. It’s compared in
the description as a sporting event, with competitors “pre-moistening their
food by dunking it in water, which eases the food’s journey down the esophagus.”
However, it’s not like a sporting event. Instead of losing weight, you gain it
(just like Taft).
The grilled cheese contest leaves a sour feeling in your
tummy. Sonya Thomas ate a whopping 25 sandwiches in just ten minutes. Two
runners up both ate 23. And for some reason, it’s considered an accomplishment.
The text says, “George Shea presents Sonya with the championship belt that says
WORLD CHEESE EATING CHAMPION in gold letters. She holds it high above her head
and grins for the cameras.” Why should we honor the fattest people? Sonya
Thomas isn’t a hero, but a chump.
It
was viewed by men like J.P Morgan that “the consumption of food was the
sacrament of success.” How much food did he mean? Did he mean 25 grilled cheese
sandwiches? Did he mean 70 hot dogs? The answer is no. He meant a healthy diet.
And by the way, the last time I checked hot dogs aren’t healthy.
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