Eating Contests (08/16/05)

Hungry? Think you've got an appetite for chicken wings, hot dogs, or ribs? Do you return to the buffet line for seconds? You're an amateur compared to professional competitors, large and small, who come from all over the globe to eat in competitive events. With their ability to consume mass quantities of everything from salty-ball potatoes to sticks of butter in record times, these champions give new meaning to the words "fast food." It took Carlene LeFevre only 18 minutes to eat the world famous 72-ounce Big Texan Steak -- with a baked potato, salad, shrimp cocktail, and rolls. Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas, another notable "gurgitator," weighs a mere 100 pounds, but holds more than 20 world eating records, including 11 pounds of cheesecake in just nine minutes. Still think you can keep up? If so, it's time to loosen your belt and head back to that buffet for thirds -- or even fourths.