Last summer, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut stepped onstage in Brooklyn, New York. As the crowd cheered, Joey crammed hot dogs into his mouth. He ate 62 of them in just 10 minutes!

Was Joey really that hungry? No, he was in an eating contest. Hundreds of eating contests are held each year. People try to eat the most pizza, cupcakes—even cow brains!

Even if you love pizza, eating a ton of it isn’t easy. To help it go down, some people dunk their food in water. That makes it squishy and easier to swallow.

Like other athletes, competitive eaters train hard. One way they prepare is by eating a giant meal. Then they drink a gallon of milk or water in only 30 seconds. That stretches their stomachs.

Eating so much is sure to make you feel sick. But if you throw up while eating, you lose the contest. That’s not the biggest problem these eaters face, though. Doctors say that competitive eating is very unhealthy. It can cause holes in your stomach. Overeating can also stretch your stomach so much that it can’t digest food properly.