Kobayashi just couldn't take the cake. On Friday, he came up six ounces short of the competitive fruitcake-eating record, at four pounds and eight ounces. He cited the density as a hindrance. Watch video footage from Fox News here.... More

I've been trying to get my boyfriend to dress up as champion eater Takeru Kobayashi for Halloween for a while now, but now that Kobayashi has his own line of t-shirts, maybe he'll actually consider it. (Think about it: just a t-shirt with some strategically placed ketchup stains, shorts and a hot dog. So easy.) Kobayashi admits he didn't have a hand in designing the shirts, but they're still pretty funny. They say things like: "Kobayashi Eats Chestnuts for Breakfasts," "Kobayashi Ate My Homework" and of course "Kobayashi Banzai." Thrillist caught up with the competitive eating star today and got a little insight into his own personal hot dog habits. Do you ever casually enjoy a hot dog? Yes,... More

The world's top ranked competitive eater, Takeru Kobayashi, has run into a little occupational hazard. Surprisingly, his stomach didn't explode from being over-stuffed; unsurprisingly, he developed jaw arthritis a week after he started training rigorously for the July 4th Nathan's Famous Hot Dog Eating contest, which he has won six years in a row. Despite the injury, he would still like to participate in the contest and "be the pride of my mother," who sadly died earlier this year. If you know Japanese you can read more of this thoughts on his blog. We hope he gets better soon!... More