A 27-Year-Old Who Weighed 456 Pounds Survived Without Any Food For 382 Days

San Fracisco Chronicle ^ | Tuesday, October 18, 2016 | Kevin Loria,

[nickcarraway]

Most people can survive without food for at least a few weeks, maybe a bit longer. Eventually, however, starvation kills.

Yet the limits on how long people can go without eating are complicated; without water people are unlikely to last a week, but the amount of time starvation takes can vary drastically.

Take the story of Angus Barbieri. For 382 days, ending July 11, 1966, the then-27-year-old Scotsman ate nothing.

There's limited documentation of Barbieri's fast: there are a few old newspaper stories recounting his ordeal and more convincingly, there's a case report describing the experience that his doctors published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal in 1973.

According to that report, Barbieri had walked into the University Department of Medicine at the Royal Infirmary of Dundee, Scotland, more than a year before, looking for help. He was "grossly obese" at the time, according to his doctors, weighing 456 pounds. The doctors put him on a short fast, thinking it would help him lose some weight, though they didn't expect him to keep it off.

But as days without food turned into weeks, Barbieri felt eager to continue the program. Absurd and risky as his goal sounded — fasts over 40 days were and still are considered dangerous — he wanted to reach his "ideal weight," 180 pounds. So he kept going.

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

I fasted for weight loss maybe last year, or the year before, 4 straight months. I ate almost nothing, except for maybe a salad once a week, or a bite from a hot dog. Maybe 3 or 4 times I gave in to temptation (I was even having dreams about food) and ate a proper meal, which was quite hard on the stomach by the way. In general, however, I ate nothing for almost the entirety of 4 months. (The first 3 or 4 days are the hardest for a fast, I would add. After that, hunger disappears as your body switches to burning fat.)

Anyway, I lost about a hundred pounds and felt very very good. Some of that weight was probably just water (I was losing 2 pounds a day the first month, then it varied thereafter), but, otherwise, I fit back into all my clothes.

I highly recommend a good, long fast, at least 30 days, if you’re fat enough to support it! Especially for praying purposes. (You get very emotional.) If this guy was almost 500 freaking pounds, I can see it as possible, though he should have at least been taking vitamins or eating a salad every 7 days or so.

[Jack Hydrazine]

There are those people who have genetic problems or take medications due to medical problems that affect the glycemic index that affect one’s weight, which are a very small minority of people. But for most people if you eat less than you burn you’ll lose weight. Eat the same amount of calories you burn and your weight stays the same. Eat more than you burn you,’ll gain weight.

There really aren’t any excuses, except for that small minority, to be overweight. The obesity “epidemic” could be over within a year if people to the time to take the fork out of their mouths by practicing some self-control and burning more calories than they ingest.

You burn 1,000 calories a day x 7 days and you burn 7,000 calories in a week. 3,500 calories is contained within one pound of human fat. This makes 7,000 calories two pounds that people can lose a week.

It’s time for people to stop making excuses about their weight.

[Albion Wilde]

don’t believe it either....there is such a thing as malnutrition and electrolyte imbalance

The article, had you read it, said he checked into the hospital regularly for checkups and took sodium and potassium tablets under medical supervision. Those are the minerals that control electrolyte balance.

[Albion Wilde]

Is that like when your earholes fuse shut when you don’t wear your earrings for a few weeks?

[wardaddy]

I’m 6’5” and 237 this morning

I’ve never tasted over five days

Lost about 12 pounds

I’ve got heart block and rampant pvcs

A pacemaker

I don’t think I’m a good candidate for a good fast

Glad it worked for u

I think it’s 3500 to 7000 calories per pound lost depending per individual

That’s what 10-20 pounds a month

As u know weight slows after a fast start

I wish I weighed around 215

[BobL]

I always wondered where your handle came from...now I know. Since you’re now one of us Puny’s, you’ll need to change our handle.

Congrats, nice job!

[daniel1212]

It is well known that after 3 or 4 days of fasting (totally - only water), you lose your appetite and all desire to eat. The roughest part is the first 3 or 4 days.

I heard that also but never found it true in the past.

[punchamullah]

Somewhat, I suppose .....

What I remember reading, so long ago, was an account of complaints common to junkies, who went for long periods without eating and hence, pooping. Freeper PLMerite, however, pointed out to me that the Voice of the Netherthroat would aid in keeping the passage open, so I cannot confirm the veracity of what I had for so long assumed.

[Albion Wilde]

" the Voice of the Netherthroat "

LOL!! Never heard that one before. I've heard, "playing the bassoon", tho.

[goat granny]

this is not about your grandfathers situation...I went on a 7 day fast with only water. The strange thing was that after 3 days I had no appetite and it was easy not to eat....when I started off the fast, the strange thing was I could only tolerate clear soup for several and gradually got my appetite back.. gg

[goat granny]

should have read your post first, I went on a water fast and found the same thing. after 3 days I was no longer hungry, but when I went off the fast could only get clear soup down for several days and gradually my appetite returned. Went on the fast for spiritual reasons....