Balance of Food

MTV does these "True Life" documentaries, and it is devoting 60 minutes to one of my favorite topics on this blog: competitive eating. "True Life: I'm a Competitive Eater" spotlighted three young men who compete in the sport. Tim "Eater X" Janus, one of the top eaters; Ian "The Invader" Hickman, who is just starting out; and the unofficial champion of the sport, Takeru "Tsunami" Kobayashi. Having a nickname apparently helps you do well. I saw Janus and Kobayashi last summer on ESPN. Hickman was recently spotlighted in The Washington Post. I don't want to spoil it for you, but it's a rather intriguing spotlight into a growing (pun intended) sport. It's truly not as simple as it looks; strategy and training definitely go into being successful. The premiere is tonight at 10 p.m. EST on MTV. Here are the other times the program airs (Eastern times given): February 23: 9 p.m. February 24: 2:30 p.m. February 25: 7:30 p.m./1:30 a.m. February 26: 1:30 p.m./6:30 p.m. February 28: 1 p.m./11 p.m. March 1: 9 p.m.