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One of the novel’s most important lessons can be found in the idea that lying by omission is just as damaging as traditional lying. This dynamic is developed primarily through David’s guilt and stress over his accidental $2,000 charge on his mother’s credit card bill, for his efforts to hide his mistake only make matters worse when his action finally comes to light. The theme is also developed through the mentions of the Jooky dog throughout the narrative, for even the letter of authenticity attached to this disastrous purchase is designed to be a lie by omission.

Even from the beginning, David knows that his decision to hide the $2,000 charge on his mom’s credit card is wrong, for he spends most of the novel wracked with guilt and fear over his mistake, and his entire scheme to win the pizza-eating contest is a desperate attempt to correct his error before it is discovered. The dishonesty that David’s deception requires creates overwhelming stress that plagues him throughout the novel, and he often has persistent, nagging thoughts about his dilemma in the midst of his other challenges. David’s ongoing dread is a direct consequence of lying by omission and attempting to avoid responsibility for his errors.

The internal stress that he feels is illustrated in Chapter 24, for after he intercepts the Visa bill and knocks it behind the bureau, he later admits that his lie is hidden but not forgotten. As he states, “Every time I walk past the bureau […] I think about that envelope and I get a little queasy” (199). David’s feelings of guilt come from his dishonest decision to avoid telling his parents about the charge. Inevitably, when the truth comes to light in Chapter 38, his parents’ shock and disappointment over his dishonesty are a far worse experience for David than any punishment over the initial mistake might have been. As David’s parents explain, “The money’s not the point. The point is that you’ve betrayed our trust in you” (207). The broken trust between David and his parents forces the protagonist to realize that lying by omission carries the same consequences as other kinds of dishonesty.

External events in the novel reinforce this point, for both Derek—Bridgette’s know-it-all boyfriend—and The Gurge, a famous eating competition cheater, engage in lying by omission. For example, Derek misleads David about the gift card prize for the slider-eating contest, later explaining the he “didn’t say it was for cash” (66) when he told David about the $200 prize. Similarly, The Gurge scams David by having Jooky Garafalo sign an ambiguous letter of authenticity that fails to mention that the hot dog is in no way associated with the famous eating contest. Because these morally questionable people use lies of omission, the author drives home the point that all forms of dishonesty are unethical and have serious consequences.