The incredible story of a man who went without food for 382 days to lose weight

Angus Barbieri has a curious record. He is cited in the Guinness Book as the world record holder for fasting time without ingesting solid products. There were 382 days (more than a year) without consuming any food. And, to this day, experts try to understand how Angus was able to go so long without eating and how this behavior did not cause any harm to his body. Most of them consider that going without food for more than 40 days can cause serious health risks.

O awesome.club decided to research what was the motivation of this man to make such a drastic decision and sought to understand how Angus was able to live for so long without eating anything. Follow with us.

It was 1965 when Angus, then 27 years old and unimaginably burly, was admitted to Marifield Hospital in Dundee, Scotland. At that time, his weight reached 207 kg. Angus then told the medical staff who saw him that he would like to go without food for a while to lose weight. The doctors gave the idea ok and decided to monitor his evolution.

At first, the man did not think about giving up food for a long time. But the fact is that he realized that he could live well that way and, contrary to the opinion of the doctors, he decided to continue with the regimen, even after the period of 40 days, which, as we mentioned, is considered safe. Angus was determined to find his ideal weight.

For more than a year, he was on only multivitamins, vitamin C and yeast. From the 92nd day onwards, potassium pills were incorporated into the diet and, from the 345th day to the end, the diet also began to include salt consumption. During the entire period, Angus was free to consume as much as he wanted of non-caloric beverages, such as coffee, tea or sparkling water. At certain times, he would add a little sugar or milk to his diet, especially in the weeks leading up to the end of the regimen.

A curious fact is that their trips to the bathroom for “solids” occurred every 37 to 48 days. Which, strictly speaking, is not surprising, since their diet was completely liquid.

The Marifield Hospital in Dundee, Scotland

Although initially under medical supervision, Angus did not receive any treatment or intervention during the process. The fact is that, as he said he had adapted well to starvation and showed no health problems, he was allowed to return home. The boy only went to the hospital to perform tests and check that the regimen was not causing him problems.

One of the medical team’s findings was that Angus had very low blood glucose levels, which in turn was an indication that he was starving. However, the lack of glucose in the body (known as hypoglycemia) did not prevent him from carrying out his daily activities and feeling good. The single most drastic change in his life was the fact that he had to give up a job at his father’s restaurant, specializing in one of the best-known dishes in British countries, the traditional fish and chips (fish and chips). Working in a place like this, it was clear Angus wasn’t going to lose weight.

The longest fast in history ended on July 11, 1966. Exactly 382 days had passed since the beginning of the experiment, Angus had lost 125 kg and his weight was, at that moment, 82 kg.

When the diet was over, the first thing he ate was breakfast, with a boiled egg, a slice of bread and butter and a cup of coffee. At that moment, Angus had completely lost track of the taste of food. So a relatively simple breakfast like that sounded delicious.

As you might imagine, such an aggressive regimen didn’t produce definitive results, but Angus apparently continued to manage his weight well. Five years after the end of the fast, he had gained only 7 kg. The boy moved from Scotland to the city of Warwick, England, where he had two children. And he lived for another 24 years.

Losing weight in such a drastic way can be very dangerous. Researchers at the University of Dundee School of Medicine, in a scientific review of Angus’ experience, described another five cases of treating obesity from starvation. All ended with the death of patients. Only one woman managed to go long 210 days without food, but ended up dying after the second meal after the fast was over — unfortunately, this type of situation is quite common, as the sudden ingestion of food after so long changes the fluid balance and body electrolytes.

In the case of the other patients, the deaths occurred between the third and eighth weeks. In many cases, potassium deficiency was recorded, even though this mineral was being taken in supplement form.

Some people are able to do without food for a long time, surviving only on the fat accumulated in the body. It happens that, both in the case of fasting and low-calorie diets, as soon as fat and muscles are burned, changes occur in the body that can even cause heart attacks. After six to eight weeks of malnutrition (or even less, in the case of people without fat reserves or who have certain chronic diseases), the heart starts working irregularly, which can be detected by means of electrocardiograms.

Some studies show that limiting the supply of nutrients or even restricting food altogether can help fight cancer and obesity. Other research shows that, in the case of animal tests, fasting can slow down the pace of aging.

There are, however, many questions in the scientific community regarding these supposed benefits of such drastic restrictions on food consumption.

Have you ever done any kind of low-calorie fasting? Do you believe that Angus was a brave man, who knew what he was doing, or just a madman who put his own life at risk? We want to know your opinion in the comments.