Back in the 1960s, one man lost an unbelievable amount of weight after fasting for a record 382 days.
Yeah, I’ve not thrown in an extra number there by accident – one bloke in the UK really managed to go that long without even snacking for over a year.
Weighing in at over 200kg, Angus Barbieri paid a visit to the University Department of Medicine at the Royal Infirmary of Dundee in June 1965.
The man was fed up of being obese and checked in at the place as he told staff he wanted to cut out food altogether. And the doctors happily agreed to monitor his progress.
Advert
It’s said they didn’t actually expect the fast to last so long, thinking a short fast would help him shed some weight.
So, they prescribed multivitamins like potassium and sodium as well as yeast to compensate for the lack of nutrients. But as the days carried on, Barbier’s persistence increased, and he kept going to the reported ‘ideal weight’ of 180 pounds.
Now, it's important to point out that this certainly isn't a safe or healthy way to lose weight and shouldn't be 'tried at home'.
Apparently, apart from a low blood glucose level, Barbieri incredibly didn't suffer any ill-effects from the extreme diet.
Advert
But he did only go to the toilet every 40-50 days which must have been pretty strange to say the least.
When it finally came to the Scotsman loosening his strict regime, he opted for a pinch of sugar or milk in his hot drinks, before breaking the fast altogether.
And the first food he ate? A boiled egg with a slice of bread and butter which apparently left him very full.
“I thoroughly enjoyed my egg, and I feel very full," he told reporters.
According to a Chicago Tribune report, he had totally forgotten what food even tasted like after going a year without anything at all.
Advert
The fast proved to be successful, with Barbieri managing to keep the weight off. His fast was also recognised by Guinness World Records as the longest ever recorded.
Despite his success, Diabetes.co.uk explains that Barbieri's case is very unusual and shouldn't be recommended. They explain that because Angus was so overweight, his body was more prepared to fast.
"For people of a normal weight, fasting for long periods can cause health complications, including increased strain on the heart, even with nutritional supplementation," they explained.
"Therefore, fasts of this length should not be attempted by anybody. They are from a time in the 1960s where long-term fasts were being studied with frequency, but there are other studies from this time where patients experienced heart failure and in some cases died of starvation."
Topics: Health, Guinness World Record, Food And Drink
Jess Battison