I got this from PEOPLE's website...


Takeru Kobayashi of Japan, the hot-dog eating champ of New York's Coney Island, may be out of commission for next week's annual July 4th contest.

The six-time winner, 29 (and, despite his yearly high-fat and sodium and carbohydrate gorge, a svelte 165 lbs.), has been diagnosed with arthritis of the jaw, he writes ruefully on his Web site, where he says: "My jaw refused to fight anymore … [it] has abandoned the frontline."

According to Kobayashi's message, "Already I can't open my jaws more than just a little bit. There's no pain only if I open my mouth about enough for one finger. More than that is painful and I can't open it."

His situation puts a big question mark over whether he'll be able to compete to claim his seventh straight Yellow Mustard Belt next Wednesday, in the Independence Day contest sponsored by Nathan's Famous hot dogs. Last year Kobayashi – nicknamed "Tsunami" – won after devouring a then-world record of 53.75 wieners in 12 minutes.

"To tell the truth, I'm desperate about healing completely before the July 4 contest," says Kobayashi, adding that he's already sought treatment from a chiropractor.

Relief is not only at stake here, but pride. Earlier this month in Tempe, Ariz., Joey Chestnut, 23, of San Jose, Calif., beat Kobayashi's world record in a Coney qualifying event, the Southwest Regional Hot Dog Eating Championship at the Arizona Mills Mall, by eating 59.5 hot dogs in 12 minutes, the Associated Press reports.

Perhaps Kobayashi saw this day coming, as his blog also includes some harsh self-criticism. "I feel so ashamed that I didn't hear the alarm bells ringing in my own body," it says. "But with the aim of winning the title and setting a new record in my head, I couldn't stop my training regime so close to the competition."

He also blames himself for training so hard, including his diet of large quantities of cabbage and water to stretch his stomach – and which, he also says, rendered his mouth all but paralyzed.



Can you imagine eating 53.75 hot dogs in 12 minutes?? Doesn't say if it's bun and all but the picture on PEOPLE looks like it is.

yeah it is, bun and hotdog... I couldn't imagine. I do believe I would choke to death

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That is sad.I watched him before.It is gross.He eats two hot dogs at a time,then dips 2 hot dog buns in glasses of water and eats them.He fly's threw them.

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Wife to Rick for 14 Years
Mom to 2 boys Dakota 13 & Ryan 9
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January Grocery Budget~$330.00

UGH! No more hot dogs for me the soggy bun thing completely made me heave...lol

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Ewww, soggy bun? That's really nasty. Now how am I supposed to eat the hot dogs at the 4th of July picnic?

HAHA that must be where they got the inspiration for when Cristina did that on Grey's Anatomy.

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