Assignment 1

Nick Harvilla
Relevant Background Information:
The show is called Man vs. Food and it aired originally on the Travel
Channel from 2008 to 2012. Adam Richman travels the United States
looking for the best places to pig out in America, while taking on the
biggest eating challenges. He claims he is not a competitive eater.
During the episodes Adam always visits three restaurants. The first
two are local places that are smaller and typically serve cheap,
delicious food. They are known as local pig out spots that most of
the local population either dine or have at least heard of. The last
restaurants that Adam visits each show are usually larger
establishments with a more expansive menu compared to the first two
restaurants, but they include some sort of eating challenge. The
challenge could be based on quantity of a food item, sheer size in
terms of mass, or based on flavor- usually very spicy. Many of the
challenges Adam undergoes are high-calorie, and high-fat meals,
which your average person would not be able to consume in a single
sitting.
Actors:
Adam Richman: Main character and star of Man vs. Food. Adam
travels around the country taking on food challenges and to find the
best places in America to pig out.
Restaurant Owner: Typically Adam visits smaller restaurants before
he visits the main challenge area. These owners usually operate a
smaller venue that has cheaper food that is a local favorite. These
owners, typically, are not into making a ton of money and from what it
seems like, just want to provide good, cheap food. These include
burger joints, sandwich spots, BBQ places, and more. One thing all
these locations have in common is that they have some sort of
specialty dish or type of food that the local population loves.
Challenge Restaurant Owner: Adam always visits some sort of
larger restaurants owned either by one or multiple owners. These
establishments are larger, with many more things on their menu than
the smaller restaurants that are visited on the show. The Challenge
Restaurant Owner always meets with Adam and takes him through the
ropes on how the challenge food dish is made. Then the owner will
announce the challenge and serve it to Adam in some sort of large
show-like display.
Artifacts:
Adam Richmans Love of Food: Adam Richman obviously loves
food. If he didnt then this show would not exist. However, he doesnt
love food like an average person. From what I can tell, Adam truly
does enjoy food and has the palate/ability to identify different flavor

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profiles and tastes in every food he tries. His love of food rises to that
of an aficionado or connoisseur.
The Challenge Restaurant: The challenge restaurant is very
significant to the show because it is the entire basis for the show.
Adam faces a different food challenge in every episode at a different
restaurant he visits. The challenge restaurant represents the arena
where man actually faces off against food.
The Local Pig-out Spots: The local pig-spots are the restaurants that
Adam visits leading up to his final restaurant where he undergoes an
eating challenge. The local pig-out spots represent places that the
local population can get good, rib-sticking food for cheap. The
restaurants represent the small business mentality of America where
sometimes one-of-a-kind businesses just do it better than larger
corporations.
*This is an observation from the entire show which is ~21 minutes long
on Netflix.
Observation 1:
2:00mins-Adam is seen walking down Beale Street in Memphis. The
first restaurant he visits is called Gus Fried Chicken. Adam claims that
Memphis is known for fried chicken, and that Gus Fried Chicken is the
best place to go. Adam polls some people in the restaurant on what
they are ordering, and they are all eating chicken. He then goes to
people and asks what they like about the chicken. Most people cannot
answer for certain but one popular answer is the spices. Next the show
goes into a description of the history of Gus Fried Chicken
4:00mins-A man named Vernon Gus Bonner founded Gus Fried
Chicken 25 years ago. It started in Mason Tennessee until they opened
a second restaurant in Memphis, TN. Adam is seen interviewing
Vernon Gus Bonners widow on how to properly eat the chicken. She
said to eat it slowly and savor it. Adam sits down with the cook, Big
John, and gets to eat the chicken. He obviously enjoys it very much.
From there he follows Big John into the kitchen to see how its made.
Only 3 people in the world know all the secrets to whats in the
chicken. Adam then shadows Big John while as he is trimming the
chicken. Next, he gets to season the chicken in the secret seasoning.
Overall, Adam is very satisfied with Gus Chicken.
8:00mins-The next restaurant Adam stops at is, called Rendezvous
BBQ, which has been around since 1948. It is known for all types of
BBQ- pulled pork, kielbasa, and especially ribs. The restaurant is
famous for its ribs. In 1948 Charlie Vergos, opened the BBQ shop.
Vergos was a Greek Immigrant and he used many Greek spices on his

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BBQ. Adam speaks with the floor manager Percy, who gives him this
information. Adam then heads back to the kitchen where he speaks
with Bobby, the kitchen manager. The ribs, we learn, are roasted for
over 14 hours over charcoal. Adam tries a rib with no seasonings and
it is very tender and he enjoys it. Then he tries one in the special
vinegar sauce and it is even better. Then he tries quite a few with the
special seasoning and he enjoys those the best.
10:00mins-Adam arrives at Big Foot Lodge to take on the Sasquatch
Challenge. Adam begins by polling customers about the legend of the
Sasquatch. Many people have seen the burger, but have not actually
tried it for themselves. The rules are as follows: anyone who wants it
has 1 hour to complete the challenge and if it is beat, then they get
their picture on the wall. Adam then meets with a person who had
previously beat the challenge, Jeremy Payne. Adam asks Jeremy for
any tips on how to beat the Sasquatch. Jeremy tells Adam that he
shouldnt breathe and should just focus on eating. Adam heads back
to the kitchen to see how the Sasquatch is made.
12:00mins-Adam heads to the kitchen to speak with the man behind
the Sasquatch, Shawn Danko, who is also the owner of the restaurant.
Shawn goes through the ingredients used to make the Sasquatch. The
Sasquatch calls for 4 pounds of 80/20-ground chuck, which Adam
claims is the best meat you can buy. The bun is the size of a barstool
weighing 2 lbs total. The toppings consist of: 1 full tomato, 1 full onion,
7 pieces of lettuce, 1 cup and a quarter of pickles, and 8 pieces of
American cheese. Shawn then shows Adam how to make the burger.
Adam demonstrates how large the burger patty is by holding it up to
his face, eclipsing it entirely. Shawn shows Adam how the burger is
equivalent to 8 normal burgers. Adam then heads to the dining room
to begin the challenge.
15:00mins-Adam is seated at table flanked by a bottle of mustard,
ketchup, Louisiana Hot Sauce, a cup of water with a single lemon
wedge, a timer and a bottle of Texas Pete. Before him is one napkin,
a placemat, a fork, and a knife. On the timer there is 1 hour queued
up. Shawn announces that Adam will be the first person to complete
the challenge with the additional toppings of bacon, mushrooms, and
onions. The burger itself looks quite enticing and it truly is massive. It
is brought out on what looks like a serving tray rather than a plate.
The burger is garnished with a single dill pickle speared with a knife
through the top of the bun. Additionally, there is a side of fries.
Adams strategy is to cut the burger into 6 portions eating one portion
every 10 minutes. Adam starts off strong the first 5 minutes eating

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one of the 6 portions. He ate about half the burger in only 11 minutes!
He receives some encouragement from his buddy Jeremy. Many guests
also think that Adam will complete the challenge due to his early and
fast start.
17:00mins-Within 30 minutes, Adam has finished of the burger but
is slowing rapidly. He is broken into a sweat. Visually, you can see
pain and severe discomfort on his face. His pace has slowed to a near
crawl and he has only 18 minutes to finish the rest of the burger. He
goes outside not to vomit but to explain to the audience what is going
on. He proclaims that this challenge is nothing to joke with and that he
had underestimated it. Adam returns with 13 minutes left to complete
the challenge. Adam unfortunately has to throw in the towel. Adam
was unable to finish the burger and the Sasquatch remains triumphant.
Observation 2:
2:00mins Adam is in Boston this episode to take on the Eagles Deli
Challenge. Adam opens the episode walking down a street in Boston.
The first restaurant that Adam visits is called East Coast Grill. East
Coast Grill specializes in serving the spiciest dishes 3 nights a year.
Adam is there to get the pasta from hell. The pasta from hell is
made with the ghost pepper. Adam interviews various people and one
man has been there form the beginning, his name is Dr. Pepper. If you
cant handle the heat on hell night then you can order a creamsicle but
they come around chanting wimp. Adam goes to the back and
watches how the pasta from hell is made. It uses 3 ghost pepper
chilies. Within 10 seconds Adam is seen crying with
6:00mins The next place Adam goes is called the Barking Crab. Adam
is there to get their legendary New England clambake, which weighs 4
lbs. On a busy night The Barking Crab serves 60 clambakes. Adam
goes to the back and watches how the clambake is made; it is made
with clams, lobster, corn, red potatoes and clam chowder. Adam is
also showed how the Fishermans platter is made; which is clams,
scallops and haddock. Next some guy brings out a 15 lbs. lobster,
which Adam compares to the size of head.
10:00mins Next Adam heads to Eagles Deli to take on the challenge
of this episode. The challenge is the 12lb eagle challenge. This
episode Adam is actually challenging another person to see who is
better and can eat more. The Eagles challenge weighs up to 5lbs.
Adam is interviewing the owner and he learns how they came to the
Eagles challenge. Every time someone could eat more they would

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name it after him or her. Adam is facing a guy named Chuck to see
who can eat more of the Eagles Challenge.
15:00mins Adam is head to head with Chuck and it is very close.
Within 5 minutes Adam has eaten 3 patties. Everyone is cheering for
Chuck because they all hate the Yankees. Chuck is now sweating from
eating too much food. They also have to eat 5 lbs of French fries. The
contest is now getting pretty disgusting with both men sweating
profusely. After the battle, Adams plate weighs just over 5 lbs
meaning he ate 7 lbs of burgers and fries. Adam must wear a shirt
that says I love Boston and put his picture on the Wall of Shame.
Observation 3
2:00mins This episode, Adam is New York City. The first restaurant he
visits is called Katz New York Deli. They weigh in at over one pound.
Adam exclaims that Katz deli has been a staple sine 1885 where they
have been serving Eastern European traditional food. Adam interviews
the owner and he says the go through over 10,000 lbs of meat a week.
4:00mins Adam is in the kitchen explaining the difference between
corn beef and pastrami. Pastrami is a cut from the naval area and the
corn beef is from a brisket. Adam informs the audience that only way
to eat these meats is on rye bread with a little bit of mustard. Adam
makes his own sandwich with both meats on it and he enjoys it Rueben
style. Adams mom shows up and lectures him about his sandwich
saying its too much.
6:00mins The next restaurant that Adam goes to is Slyvias
Restaurant for soul food. The restaurant serves up traditional dishes
like fried chicken and mac and cheese. This restaurant is known for its
fried chicken and waffles. Slyvias has been around since 1962 where
it was a one-room restaurant and had 35 seats. Adam goes to the
back where he interviews the chef behind the chicken.
10:00mins The restaurant where Adam takes on the challenge is
called Brick Lane where he has to eat the worlds hottest curry. He
interviews quite a few people who all say they love curry because it is
like Indian BBQ. The curry that Adam is eating the spiciest of 14
different curries flavors. Adam goes to the kitchen and the chef is
wearing a gas mask.
15:00mins Adam begins the challenge and he cant even take a single
bite. He instantly begins crying and sweating. Adam accidently wiped
the napkin he had been using on his mouth on his face and his entire

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face is burning. Adam does not complete the challenge because it is
too hot. He falls to the statistic that only 9 out of 10 people can finish
the bowl of super spicy curry.
Interview:
1.
Have you seen the show Man v. Food and what are your
opinions on it?
Sorry - I have never seen the show.
2.
How important is a 2000-calorie diet to the average individual?
(Moderate activity level, normal muscle mass, etc.)
I typically focus more on an eating pattern that is balanced in
carbohydrates/fats/proteins and is primarily nutrient rich
whole/fresh, unprocessed foods rather than focusing on a
specific calorie intake. Focusing on calorie intake rather than
nutrient intake can result in nutrient deficiencies as well as
poor health.
3.

What are the effects on the body of over eating?

Overeating can cause stress on the body that can result in over
burdening specific organs - liver, pancreas, heart as well as
creating overall inflammation that can result in poor health.
And - obviously, overeating calories can cause weight gain and
fat gain.
4.
How prevalent is binge/over eating among college-aged
students?
I don't have specific statistics for this, but I can tell you that I
typically deal with it on a daily basis.
5.
How difficult is it to burn excess calories that are consumed in a
binge eating/overeating episode?
This really depends on the body composition of the person and
how/where the extra calories are stored. It also depends on
the fitness level of the person and whether or not they are
regularly an active person. It's not just a calorie for calorie
equation and involves much more than just burning off the
extra calories.

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6.
How quickly does the body adipose calories that are in excess to
what it needs?
The body will fill liver and muscle energy stores first - most
people already have these pretty full unless they have just
exercised heavily. Extra macronutrients are then metabolized
in to triglycerides in the liver and stored as fat.

7.
How does "snacking" or "grazing" affect maintaining a 2000calorie diet?
I do encouraged healthy snacking to help a person meet their
goals for a balanced diet. Eating more frequently throughout
the day can help a person avoid overeating or binge eating
later in the day.
Analyze:
Throughout the entire series of Man Vs. Food the setup of the show
remains constant. Adam Richman always travels to a new city looking
for the best local restaurants that are considered local delicacies.
These local restaurants are unique to the area and often are
considered pig out spots- serving a large quantity of food for a
relatively cheap price. Adam always visits a challenge restaurant in
the latter part of the episode to take on an eating challenge. One thing
I noticed is that Adam has a salesmen-esque style about him; he
promotes every restaurant as if it is the best place he has ever eaten
at. He goes from episode to episode claiming the current restaurant he
is at has the best_______ even if a different episode another
restaurant had the same style or type of food. This makes me wonder
if his producers tell him to promote the food more than review it. The
way Adam describes the food seems more like an extended
commercial where he goes over how the food is made and really, really
talks about how good it is. I dont think Adam is actually a food critic
but is actually a food promoter. Another thing that is consistent
throughout the show is that every single restaurant in every episode
that I have seen (Ive seen almost all) is an unhealthy restaurant. I
know that he is searching for pig-out spots but the food he eats
would be disgusting, to most, to eat week after week. The type of food
he eats is laden with grease and fat, and the average person would not
be able to eat it on a weekly basis. This could be one reason that the

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viewer sees Adam gain a significant amount of weight throughout the
seasons of the show.
Chart:
Terms:
Adams obsession with unhealthy food
Adams episodes of frequent binge eating
Adams weight gain due to the frequent binge eating
Adams consumption of cheap, calorie dense foods
Adams promotion of the food and how it affects business of the
restaurant
Term
Adams obsession with unhealthy
food
Adams episodes of frequent binge
eating
Adams weight gain as a result of
frequent binge eating

Adams consumption of cheap,

Source
Google Scholar, Defining and
labeling healthy and
unhealthy food, 2009
Cambridge Journals
NPR, Binge Eating Official Defined
as a Mental Disorder, 2010
Google Scholar, Preventing
Excessive Weight Gain in
adolescents: Interpersonal
Psychotherapy for Binge Eating,
2012 Wiley Online Library
UNCC Database, Contribution of
food prices and diet cost to
socioeconomic disparities in diet
quality and health: a systematic
review and analysis, PubMed.gov