Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Topics: Health, Food and Drink, Science
Emily Brown
A man who fasted for almost 400 days managed to set a new record as he sought to reach his goal weight.
I get grumpy if I go more than a few hours without eating, so I've got absolutely no idea how 27-year-old Angus Barbieri managed to do it for more than a year in the 1960s.
Barbieri, from Scotland, weighed 456lbs (207kg) when he checked into the University Department of Medicine at the Royal Infirmary of Dundee in June 1965.
According to Diabetes.co.uk, Barbieri told hospital staff he wanted to stop eating altogether to try and lose weight, and doctors agreed to monitor his progress.
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Anticipating the fast to last a few days, doctor prescribed multivitamins and yeast to make up for his lack of nutrients.
Days soon turned into weeks, however, with Barbieri persisting as he wanted to reach his 'ideal weight' of 180lbs.
He lived off tea, coffee, soda water, and the vitamins, and as the fast went on his body began to make up for the lack of food by burning its own fat stores for energy.
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Barbieri's blood glucose levels were low as a result of his fast, but he didn't suffer any adverse effects as a result.
However, the Scotsman did only 'go to the toilet' every 40-50 days.
In the final few months of his fast, Barbieri began to have a pinch of sugar or milk in his tea and coffee, until he ultimately decided to end the fast in July 1966.
After a total of 382 days, Barbieri's hard work paid off as he managed to reach his goal weight of 180 pounds.
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A Chicago Tribune report revealed that Barbieri had forgotten the taste of food after so many days, but he eased himself back in with his first breakfast of a boiled egg with a slice of bread and butter.
Afterwards, he told reporters: “I thoroughly enjoyed my egg and I feel very full.”
Barbieri's fast continued to benefit him years later, as after half a decade he still only weighed 196lbs.
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His fast was even recognized by Guinness World Records as the longest fast ever recorded.
However, while Barbieri was successful in his fast, it's not recommended that you try such a diet at home.
Diabetes.co.uk warns Barbieri's case is 'incredibly unusual', and 'one of the most extreme examples of a starvation diet ever recorded'.
The site adds that fasting for long periods can cause health complications, including increased strain on the heart, for people of a normal weight.