A well-known "big stomach" competitive eater from Japan, recognized for her ability to eat 100 burgers in a single sitting, is retiring at the age of 40.

The "cute and slim" Japanese star of food challenges, who recently took time off to recuperate from a "mental illness," intends to retire and dedicate her time to her pet cats.

japanese online sensation yuka kinoshita has announced her retirement from competitive eating at the age of 40. photo: scmp composite/ig@yuka_kinoshita

A widely recognized Japanese eating influencer has announced her decision to step away from the competitive eating world due to concerns regarding her well-being and increasing age. Yuka Kinoshita's announcement was made online on February 1st, shortly after her return to social media following a seven-month break. During that time, she stayed home managing bipolar affective disorder.

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“I will turn 40 on February 4 and it is really hard for me to continue working as a big eater,” Kinoshita stated on a major social media platform where she boasts 5.2 million followers.

Yuka Kinoshita first rose to fame on a reality television show. Photo: YouTube@kinoyuu0204

“I am very exhausted. My health has deteriorated over the years. It is no problem to eat like a normal person, but I will feel tired even when I am not full. So I am afraid I cannot eat as much as before,” she further explained. Her journey as a "big stomach king" started in 2009 on the Japanese reality show The Battle of Big Eaters. Despite not winning, she captured attention because of the contrast between her massive food consumption and her slim physique and endearing smile.