You can’t live a full life on an empty stomach

In 1944, the Minnesota Starvation Experiment was conducted to examine the consequences of reduced calorie intake because of the expectation that, after World War II, there would be a great famine.

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36 healthy, psychologically stable men were selected for the experiment, who underwent a reduced calories diet for six months (1500 calories per day). After the three months, they were subjected to the next phase of recovery, that is, the return to a normal caloric intake. ⁣

Volunteers who remained in the experiment until the end experienced dramatic psychological, physiological, and social changes. In most cases, the changes stayed present during and after the rehabilitation phase, making their daily functioning more difficult. ⁣

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One of the most prominent changes that could be observed in the volunteers was a significantly increased preoccupation with food, which made it difficult to concentrate on normal daily activities. Food became the main topic of conversation, respondents began to collect recipes and dream of food. Some could not stand the hunger, so they would overeat, after which they would report feelings of strong repulsion and reproach towards themselves. One of the subjects developed a cycle of overeating and vomiting, after which he had to leave the experiment. The results also showed that as men became more and more likely to think about food, their interest in sexual activity diminished.

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One of the respondents wrote in his diary: “I am starting to isolate myself from other respondents who are developing different types of behavior. Everyone seems to be losing their interpersonal skills, and we aren’t even halfway through the experiment. "

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When we persistently go against our physiology and do not follow the signals of our body, the body awakens its instincts and makes them stronger, so that we would pay attention. When we are at peace with our body, it opens up its possibilities for us. ☘