In the mid-1960s, Angus Barbieri fasted for more than a year in a bid to lose weight. Here’s how he did it.
The end of the festive period often brings with it a desire to get into some healthier habits, and while fasting for certain periods of time can be beneficial in some cases, it’s rare that people completely give up food like Barbieri did. The Scottish man started his fast after checking into the University Department of Medicine at the Royal Infirmary of Dundee and informing doctors he was unhappy with his weight of 32.5 stone (455lbs).
He wanted to take action, and doctors were happy to monitor his progress as he started his fast, anticipating it would only last a matter of days.
However, before long it became clear that Barbieri wasn’t going to give up, so doctors took steps to help him stay as healthy as possible.
Nutritional supplements
While Barbieri wasn’t getting any nutrients through food, doctors ensured he got the vitamins he needed by supplying supplements, including potassium and sodium.
Frequent checkups
Doctors were able to monitor Barbieri’s wellbeing through his regular trips to the hospital, which also consisted of overnight stays.
The checkups ensured doctors could quickly act on any health issues that came up, as well as allowing them to perform regular blood sugar tests. The tests confirmed that while Barbieri did experience hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), he was still able to function.
Fat reserves
As Barbieri was significantly overweight at the start of his fast, he had a lot of fat reserves which his body could rely on when it needed to burn energy.
It was important that Barbieri had fat reserves to rely on as the body needs energy to survive, and it can be dangerous if it runs out.
After burning through the fat, the body can start to burn through muscle and cause physical changes. This in turn can increase the chance of a fatal heart attack.
Slow reintroduction of food
After 382 days, Barbieri gave up his fast when he reached his goal weight of 180 pounds.
He couldn’t dive into eating straight away after being malnourished, as the shift of fluids and electrolytes could prove fatal.
Instead he had to slowly reintroduce food, beginning with a boiled egg, a slice of bread with butter, and a cup of black coffee.
Though it’s rare for people to give up food entirely, intermittent fasting is a more common strategy for weight loss, and involves restricting food to certain periods of the day.
Johns Hopkins University stresses that anyone considering fasting – especially in extreme instances such as this – should always consult a doctor beforehand.
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