How to become as fat as a Sumo wrestler

Sumo wrestling is a way of life and requires a lifetime dedication. It can take up to 10 years to become a professional. Teenage boys join schools to learn the basics of Sumo and Sumo wrestling scouts choose the athletic ones with stocky builds. They won't choose the obese boys because that indicates a lack of discipline.

Sumo wrestlers are called rikishi.

A respectable rikishi weighs at least 200kg (440lbs) and up to 280 kg (616 lbs). There is no weight division so basically, the bigger you are, the better.

Steps to becoming as fat as a Sumo wrestler

Skip breakfast. Rikishis wake up at 4-5 am and will only have their first meal at midday. Not only does this slow down their metabolism encouraging fat storage, but they’re starving at this point and can eat 5-10 times the amount an average person will eat. Rikishis eat only 2 very large meals a day.

Eat very large amounts of food. One of the heaviest rikishis in history, at 285kg, could eat 10 bowls of stew*, 8 bowls of rice, 130 pieces sushi and 25 portions of barbecued beef at one sitting. Rikishis eats, on average, 10 000 calories a day.

*The traditional meal is a stew called chanko-nabe and is pictured above. It contains meat (fish, seafood, chicken, pork or beef) and is served with rice and vegetables.

Drink a lot of alcohol. Sumo wrestlers drink a lot of beer which contains a lot of calories and leads to weight gain.

Sleep after you eat. Sumo wrestlers sleep for 3-4 hours following their large meal. Perfect way to avoid burning off those calories.

If you do decide to follow these steps, be aware that this lifestyle is not without its risks. The average life expectancy of a rikishi is 65 years old, 10 years below that of the average Japanese male. Their risk of type 2 diabetes, high cholesterol, blood pressure, heart attacks and gout is much higher than the average population's. Their heavy weight is a strain on the joints, increasing their risk of arthritis. Due to their high alcohol intake, they are more prone to liver problems.

Sources:

http://www.discoverychannelasia.com/sumo/become_a_sumo_wrestler/index.shtml
http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=4209021
http://www.ajcn.org/cgi/content/abstract/29/10/1167