Please Don't Diet

Via the_xtina, a discussion of the Minnesota Starvation Study, the most comprehensive study on the psychological and physiological effects of semistarvation we have ever done. Semistarvation in this case is defined as getting 1600 calories per day; MyPyramid.gov indicates that a 25 year old male who is active 30-60 minutes/day should get 2800 calories/day. To give you an idea how harsh that sort of restriction is, this study could not be repeated today because it would be deemed "cruel and possibly life-threatening".

I want to note one of the psychological effects these men experienced while doing what we would consider pretty standard (even generously proportioned) dieting: "self-critical with distorted body images and even feeling overweight". Now, these men were not overweight when the study began, much less so while they were losing 2.5lb/week. Yet somehow dieting caused them to perceive themselves as overweight. Hmm. . .

(I'd put The Biology of Human Starvation (Keys two-volume book that seems to be the published paper of the study and its results) on my wish list if I could actually find a copy)

Please Don't Diet

Via the_xtina, a discussion of the Minnesota Starvation Study, the most comprehensive study on the psychological and physiological effects of semistarvation we have ever done. Semistarvation in this case is defined as getting 1600 calories per day; MyPyramid.gov indicates that a 25 year old male who is active 30-60 minutes/day should get 2800 calories/day. To give you an idea how harsh that sort of restriction is, this study could not be repeated today because it would be deemed "cruel and possibly life-threatening".

I want to note one of the psychological effects these men experienced while doing what we would consider pretty standard (even generously proportioned) dieting: "self-critical with distorted body images and even feeling overweight". Now, these men were not overweight when the study began, much less so while they were losing 2.5lb/week. Yet somehow dieting caused them to perceive themselves as overweight. Hmm. . .

(I'd put The Biology of Human Starvation (Keys two-volume book that seems to be the published paper of the study and its results) on my wish list if I could actually find a copy)