The human body is a fascinating thing. It often seems to defy its own rules. While health anomalies seem to be happening every day recently, this is nothing new.

There are far too many morbidly obese people living in America today, but this is neither an American problem nor a modern one. Issues with weight have plagued the entire globe for decades now. Weight loss tactics have advanced since that time, though they were perhaps more effective way back when.

One could argue that the archaic weight loss tactic of fasting for extended periods of time is the most effective method of all. There is historical evidence to back up this claim. For 382 days between 1965 and 1966, Scotsman Angus Barbieri went on the ultimate fast — eating absolutely nothing. He drank coffee, water, tea and sparkling water throughout the fast and occasionally took vitamin supplements in order to stay as healthy as possible while basically starving himself.

Kevin Loria of Business Insider writes, “In what was a surprise to his doctors, he lived his daily life mostly from home during the fast, coming into the hospital for frequent checkups and overnight stays. Regular blood-sugar tests — intended to demonstrate that he was somehow able to function while very hypoglycemic — assured doctors that he really wasn’t eating. Weeks turned into months.”

Barbieri’s life is a shocking one and just goes to show how wrong the biology books we read can be. Though the “experts” often pass themselves off as being beyond making errors, human history has proven that things beyond our understanding can happen time and time again. And still, it’s hard to deny that starvation fasting is not the smartest or healthiest route to weight loss.

It has been proven that we need caloric intake in order to maintain healthy brain function, so cutting food out of your diet completely prevents your brain from reaching its full potential. While this method worked well for Barbieri, there is no guarantee that it will work so well for everyone else. The human body is a tricky thing and if you don’t take care of it, you can pay the ultimate price as a result.

As the old adage goes, the body is a temple and it is best to keep it clean if you want to live a fulfilling life. It’s best to just avoid getting into a position where you need to lose a ton of weight in the first place. That way you never have to worry about having to fast to get it off.

Sources:

BusinessInsider.com

Finance.Yahoo.com

BusinessInsider.com