A human eating machine in India's Kerala state has been told by his doctors to slow down, and local restauranteurs are rejoicing.

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They can now think again about launching "eat as much as you like" lunches and buffets.

That is because Rappai - the man with the giant appetite - has been warned by medics to curb his food intake.

In his prime it would have been an under-statement to describe Rappai's appetite as voracious.

'Unlimited meals'

This was a man who quite easily could plough his way through two buckets of rice and accompanying chicken and vegetable dishes.

For breakfast it was said he could devour 75 idlies (rice cakes) and still have room for more.

On one famous occasion, the man who locally became known as Theeta (monster eater) took advantage of a local restaurant's "unlimited meals" coupon.

He reputedly scoffed three bucketfuls of rice, one bucket of fish curry and 10 kgs of cooked meat.

The restaurant in question ran out of food, and police had to be called in to restore order as a large crowd gathered to watch Rappai in action.

The BBC's Sridevi Pillai in Trivandrum says that such eating extravaganzas became more commonplace as Rappai's fame spread throughout the state.