The Pains of Starvation
by Sky Smith
For most men, women, boys, and girls looking to lose weight, the secret lies in restricting one’s diet. At least, that is the reason why certain individuals willingly starve themselves today. In the 1940’s, famine ran rampant for other reasons – ones mostly relating to World War II.
In an effort to understand the effects of such dietary extremes, a group of psychologists, between November 19, 1944 and December 20, 1945, under the leadership of Ancel Keys conducted a clinical study called, “The Minnesota Starvation Experiment,” on 36 men from a pool of 100 volunteers. The study involved three phases: a 12-week control period during which physiological and psychological observations were made of subjects on their normal diets; a 6-month starvation period; and a 5-month recovery period.
The results of the study coincide with the same experiences people on normal crash diets face – significant increases in depression, hysteria, and hypochondriasis (the worry/preoccupation of having a serious illness). Another common psychological effect included self-mutilation. Anorexics are often known for using razors to cut themselves in order to ‘ease their pain.’ In this experiment, one subject actually took an axe and chopped off three of his fingers. Mind you – all subjects were deemed of normal psychological health prior to the experiment.
Participants also indicated an extreme preoccupation with food which is common of dieters. Often times, people will lose weight and right afterwards begin binge eating and gain it all back, sometimes in excess. Other symptoms included loss of sexual desire and signs of social withdrawal and isolation. Beyond these characteristics, deficits in cognitive brain function were common including declines in concentration, comprehension, and judgment capabilities.
This study indicates that starvation is not the adequate approach to weight loss. Even diets offering to cut back on carbohydrates in an effort to shed pounds quickly fail to mention how strenuous this behavior can be on the body’s energy needs. Furthermore, starvation makes it difficult to near-impossible to work out. And any good nutritionist would tell you exercise is the key to maintaining a healthy weight loss as is eating more often rather than not at all. So next time you plan to diet, make sure it involves a healthy, full serving of food.