The Shocking Diet Experiment That Changed How We Look at Losing Weight

A must-read if you are dieting and trying to lose weight

Sean Barker, CPT, PN2
In Fitness And In Health
8 min readFeb 20, 2024

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Photo by Anne Nygård on Unsplash

In the turbulent times of World War II, when hunger and deprivation echoed across the globe, a groundbreaking study known as the Minnesota Starvation Experiment sought to unravel the physiological and psychological effects of starvation in humans.

Throughout history, stories have been shared about the impact of famine and starvation, but not much scientific information about the physical and mental effects was available.

Equally important, doctors and researchers lacked knowledge on how to assist people in recovering and getting back to normal after experiencing extreme food deprivation.

This experiment, conducted at the University of Minnesota in 1944, has greatly impacted our understanding of weight loss and its implications on human health.

The Minnesota Starvation Experiment

In the corridors and classrooms of the University of Minnesota football stadium, 36 young men embarked on a unique journey that would shed light on the consequences of severe calorie restriction.

These men were not athletes or students but ordinary individuals who volunteered to…

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Sean Barker, CPT, PN2
In Fitness And In Health

Award-winning fitness coach and best-selling author of The Easy Eating Diet and cookbook. Apply for Online Custom FIT Coaching here: https://bit.ly/3wzBhHH