Photographer Captures The Dark Side Of Eating Contests

Eating contests are an American tradition with roots in county fairs and harvest festivals, but the sponsored, no-holds-barred food spectacles we see today all started with Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Now there's no foodstuff which is off limits, and contestants stuff their faces for fat stacks of cash and international acclaim.

But at the root of every eating contest is a ravenous urge known as gluttony, and this "ferocity of consumption” is the core theme behind Nina Berman’s documentary series “Eat To Win”.

The images are captured at just the right moment, the contestants' faces frozen in horrifying expressions as the desire to win drives them to devour more than their neighbors.

Nina’s series presents an interesting counterpoint to the “eating contests are fun and funny to watch” view typically presented by the media.

-Via Beautiful/Decay