Zermatt Neo answers burning questions during Reddit AMA session
Singaporean competitive eater Zermatt Neo has revealed that he was once hospitalised after pushing his body too far during a food challenge.
The 37-year-old content creator, who has a combined social media following of over 10 million, shared the experience during an Ask Me Anything (AMA) session on Reddit’s r/SingaporeEats subreddit on Wednesday (17 Dec).
Source: @zermattneo on Instagram
With mukbang and competitive eating content continuing to surge in popularity, many users were keen to understand how Mr Neo’s body copes with consuming massive amounts of food.
During the AMA, he fielded a flood of questions about his health, digestion and the physical toll of competitive eating.
Blood markers ‘among best in Singapore’
One Redditor asked Mr Neo if his blood test results differed from those of an average person.
Mr Neo replied that not only were his results normal, but they actually fall “within the top two percentile of the best biomarkers in SG”.
Another user asked about his bowel movements after food challenges.
He said the duration of his bowel movements was average, but admitted the frequency increases during food challenges, which can go up to four times.
Hospitalised after stomach became dangerously distended
Despite saying he does not usually experience acid reflux after filming, Mr Neo revealed that he had suffered a serious medical scare in the past.
When asked about the most dangerous physical reaction he had experienced from competitive eating, he wrote:
Many many years ago I ate a burger that’s way beyond my comfortable weight — my stomach got so distended it crushed my pancreas.
Source: @zermattneo on Instagram. For illustration purposes only.
Because of this, he went to the emergency room, was warded for three days, and experienced pancreatitis symptoms for two weeks.
Based on Mr Neo’s YouTube channel, Mr Neo typically consumes six to 10 kilograms of food per challenge.
However, in one 2023 video, he appeared to have eaten up to 12 kilograms of burgers.
Source: Zermatt Neo on YouTube
Former dietitian and personal trainer
Mr Neo revealed that he holds a degree in Nutrition and is a certified personal trainer, which helps him “approach food challenges thoughtfully while maintaining my fitness”.
In fact, before getting into content creation, he worked as a dietitian and a personal trainer.
Source: @zermattneo on Instagram
To maintain his health, he trains for six to seven days a week and does intermittent fasting for 18 to 24 hours.
He shared that his competitive eating journey began unexpectedly.
He had received a dare from a gym buddy, which eventually led to his first national win.
Also read: S’porean competitive eater Zermatt Neo demolishes 8kg of Penang nasi kandar in 1 hour
S’porean competitive eater Zermatt Neo demolishes 8kg of Penang nasi kandar in 1 hour
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Featured image adapted from @zermattneo on Instagram.
