A 32-year-old woman in Canada was participating in a Chubby Bunny contest, a game in which participants attempt to stuff as many marshmallows into their mouths as possible and still say "chubby bunny." It is often played by children at camps and sleepovers and, more often than not, all efforts subside into laughter after about the fourth or fifth mallow. Adults take these things more seriously, however, and instead of ending up laughing, the above-mentioned woman ended up in critical condition at a London, Ontario hospital after choking on a marshmallow. The contest was already over and she was walking backstage when she collapsed. She had no vital signs when the paramedics got to her and is currently in critical condition.
The future of Chubby Bunny contests at this fair are seriously in doubt, as it may be in other venues since this is not an isolated incident, and it is possible that other food-events will be more closely monitored in the future ,a reminder to all competitive eaters that chewing your food could potentially be far more important than winning.
Update: Unfortunately, the woman did not recover from the incident.
[image via wikipedia]








Reader Comments (Page 1 of 6)
9-14-2006 @ 12:46PM
Artisan said...
Yikes, this contest was just for fun... Damn
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9-14-2006 @ 1:34PM
Kate said...
I'm glad you posted this, Nicole. Choking deaths from gummy candy, fluffy candy, and candy related games are sadly very common. Even the act of squirting an aerosol can of whipped cream into one's mouth is potentially dangerous. Candy needs to not be a toy, or a game ... and if that makes me a pooper, so be it. Your life or your child's life isn't worth the momentary act of "fun" of cramming marshmallows into a cavity that leads to a narrow tube that cannot accomodate both the candy, and air. Just the IDEA that marshmallows would be crammed into one's mouth cavity is appalling to me.
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9-15-2006 @ 7:29PM
Eric said...
If she was choking on the marshmallows, why'd she wander off as if nothing had happened? The linked article is rather sketchy.
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9-18-2006 @ 6:55AM
Lost Cause said...
I wish I would choke on a marshmallow
F . T . W
HaHa
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9-18-2006 @ 7:15AM
PEPPA said...
ALL FOOD CONTESTS SHOULD BE COMPLETLY BANNED. WHEN EATING AT SUCH A FAST PACE ,IT PUTS SUCH A STRAIN ON THE (faster ) BEATING HEART. IMO, IT TAKES A FOOL TO WANT TO PUT THEMSELVES IN A POSSIBLE HEALTH DANGER, SUCH AS AN ASININE >>> (I CAN EAT MORE PRODUCT.... AND FASTER THAN YOU CAN ) CONTEST !!!
AND THE WAY THOSE MORONS LOOK AS THEY EAT....DISGUSTING !!!
HUMANS JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO TO ENTERTAIN THEMSELVES...... THIS CARNIVAL TYPE SHIT NEEDS TO STOP !!! PLAY GAMES, AND STOP THE EATING CONTESTS.
DIDN'T A CHILD DIE STUFFING MARSHMALLOWS , WHILE PLAYING THAT STUPID GAME IN SCHOOL ?? SUCH A NEEDLESS DEATH !!!!
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9-18-2006 @ 7:36AM
Robert said...
This does not shock me, it does not shock me because people who are foolish with the Good Lords Blessings are often taken away!
This woman tempted herself she thought she could do what she knew she shouldn't.
I'll say a little prayer because God always has his reasons, Gods plan for each of us is His plan not ours our courses were laid out long before we were born! There are no accidents in Gods Kingdom everything happens because He God designed it this way!
Nonbelievers, are here for the same reason that believers are here? Gods purpose is clear, you get to make one choice the right choice is for God the wrong choice is against God!
The punishment for the wrong choice eternal death!
The reward for the right choice Eternal Life!
Have a great day and remember the choice is yours, but the timing is Gods!
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9-18-2006 @ 7:42AM
Purarfernandez@aol.com said...
I've always found those contests disgusting, now I see that they can also be deadly.
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9-18-2006 @ 8:09AM
kim said...
WOW! 32 years old....RIDICULOUS!!!
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9-18-2006 @ 8:14AM
Just Curious said...
The article is very vague and deserves reiteration. How was she able to walk backstage and reach the point of suffocation (where she had no vital signs)? I guess we are to assume that she was choking the whole time but too embarrassed to draw attention to herself? Either way very sad ...just curious.
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9-18-2006 @ 8:19AM
Ann said...
I thought everyone knew that these marshmallow contests were deadly. I can't believe that someone was still holding one. This is by and far not the first people to die from it. Even children have died from this same contest!
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9-18-2006 @ 8:28AM
Marti said...
OMG!! Come on, she was just trying to have fun, and choked! We have all choked at one time or another in our lives! Eating contests are common!! Theres nothing like making a mountain out of a mole hill now is there?
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9-18-2006 @ 8:32AM
tbird said...
I was one of the paramedics on-site when this happened at our annual fair. This woman had consumed a hot coffee just prior to going on-stage to compete. She bowed out of the event before it was finished, walked backstage and was talking with someone. She sat on a chair and began to 'turn blue' if you will and then passed out from the blockage in her esophagus. The paramedics tried to suction her esophagus but it was all very sticky marshmallow. My guess is that she swallowed one/some of the mallows, then it reacted with her hot stomach contents and expanded back up her esophagus. I suppose understanding more how things work (like hot liquids, stomach acid and marshmallows react) might have helped this poor woman survive.
I think today we (society) are too cautious and are so afraid that anything might happen that we've forgotten to have a little educated fun. You can still have eating contests if people would put down their iPods long enough to educate themselves. I would still enter a Chubby Bunny contest, personally.
To each their own, I suppose.
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9-18-2006 @ 8:39AM
Bob said...
** That marshmellow should be given the electric s'more.
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9-18-2006 @ 8:43AM
Cat said...
Every time I read about an eating contest I cringe - yes, the whole idea is disgusting to me, but it's the danger that really freaks me out. Especially hot-dog eating contests! I believe hot-dogs are the #1 (food) choking hazard? I am printing this article out to read to my children so that they are never tempted to enter such a foolish contest at camp, school, wherever!
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9-18-2006 @ 8:49AM
Ashley said...
It's sad that the woman died, but eating contests are terrible. They're just another way to waste the resources we have and could be using to feed hungry people.
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9-18-2006 @ 8:51AM
oma said...
How many of us had pounded into our brains "don't talk with your mouth full". It was bad enough that such nonsense goes on but having to speak while doing it compounds the situation.
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9-18-2006 @ 8:54AM
mike said...
THIS IS AMAZING, JUST UTTERLY AMAZING, YOU HAVE PEOPLE STARVING ON THE PLANET AND THIS IDIOT, CHOKES TO DEATH ON MARSHMALLOWS. WELL THIS IS ANOTHER HOLD TRUE ADAGE,, "STUFF THINGS IN YOUR MOUTH AND YOU ARE APT TO CHOKE TO DEATH" ..
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9-18-2006 @ 8:54AM
Jess (Go Pre!) said...
Like Cat, I also find the idea of an eating contest disgusting because it's just pure gluttony. I cringe every time I see one.
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9-18-2006 @ 8:58AM
nicole said...
A child at a local elemantary school, choked on a hot dog and died last week. Food is not a toy, and adults should know better, It's really sad that the this happened (in both cases). But when will we learn?
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9-18-2006 @ 9:04AM
Jen of Indy said...
In our swim team's scrapbook I saw a pic of our teen members playing chubby bunny ... I almost choked when I saw it! There were even pictures of police officers taking a video of the event. I immediately sent to all our membership links to articles about choking related deaths from this game and asked parents to talk to their kids about the game. I also had heard that one of our Girl Scout troops played the game at a camporee event ... I talked to the troop leader about the game and she spoke to the girls about it at their next meeting. The more in touch we are with our kids, the longer we'll have them around.
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