The sport of competitive eating was given a shocking reminder yesterday that gorging oneself with a daunting amounts of greasy food in an extremely short period of time may have negative effects on health.

A Taiwanese graduate student vying for the "Big Stomach King" contest at Dayeh University died on Tuesday just before he could claim the winning title.

The 23-year-old had chowed himself ahead of 30 other teams by consuming two buns filled with rice and cheese and helping himself to some of his teammates food as well. He was on course to win the annual campus event when he passed out and died after "relentless" vomiting, Reuters reports.

"I can't say why he died," said Huang Te-hsiang, the university's dean of affairs. "He had been in the contest before. He was a strong guy."

Had the student been victorious, he would have won NT$2,000 ($60, £38).

Taiwan's education ministry has barred further campus-based eating contests while it conducts an investigation. ®