The Normalization of Semi-Starvation

Starvation. The word alone can evoke quite the emotional reaction. Whether it calls to mind images of those who cannot afford enough to eat, those who can’t eat due to medical issues, or When speaking about eating disorders with those who do not have one, something I have heard time and time again is, “I could never starve myself.” It’s quite easy to think that this is something so beyond our capability.  But at any given moment, roughly half of Americans are dieting or trying to lose weight. So let’s take a look at starvation, dieting, and what this all really adds up to.  

In the 1940’s, during World War II, a small study was done on healthy adult males in Minnesota. This study aimed to learn more about the effects of hunger and starvation on the human mind and body by having this group of men lose around 25% of their body weight. The beginning of the experiment consisted of what was considered enough food for a “normal diet,” before beginning the next phase. Now of course they didn’t actually starve these men. That would be unethical. So instead, they semi-starved them.  

So what happened to these men while they were being semi-starved? They suffered a variety of consequences, both physical and mental, due to this lack of sustenance. Decreased strength and stamina, as well as fatigue, were some of the physical results of this semi-starvation. But there was a significant psychological toll as well. The men were found to be experiencing increased irritability, apathy, and depression, as well as diminished sex drives. Additionally, the men reported feeling obsessed with food: they spent their days talking about food, reading about food, fantasizing about food.  

This semi-starvation phase lasted for six months. After this phase of the experiment, the men were divided into two groups for rehabilitation: one for controlled rehabilitation, and one for uncontrolled. The control group was fed within a specifically chosen range of calories for three months, and then spent eight weeks unrestricted. The uncontrolled group was allowed unrestricted access to food immediately and therefore could eat as much as they wanted or felt that they needed. It became apparent that those who were given unrestricted access began to engage in extreme overeating.  

As I’m sitting here writing this, I’m wondering what numbers must be going through your head as you read this. I’m wondering if the numbers in your head match the numbers we have been taught so readily by our society. I’m wondering how low you are going for your estimate of the semi-starvation phase. I’m wondering what you think that might mean. I’m thinking about what I thought that it meant before finding out.  

If you’re guessing the “normal diet” period consisted of 2,000 calories, prepare yourself. I was way off, too. This is a functionally arbitrary number that has been pushed onto us. It was never even supposed to be so low, but there was concern that people would overindulge if a higher amount was presented to the public. Having said that, what number comes to your mind now? 2,200? 2,300? Maybe 2,500? Well, according to the researchers who designed the study, a “normal diet” consisted of about 3,200 calories a day. This is, of course, as much of an overgeneralization as 2,000 calories would be. But it’s a striking difference.  

So now we come to the even more surprising number. How little were these men eating to suffer all of these ill effects? What number sounds like semi-starvation?  

1,570.  

1,570 calories to induce a state of semi-starvation. 1,570 calories to cause the detrimental effects to the minds and bodies of otherwise healthy men. 1,570 calories to bring on a constant obsession with food, both during the waking hours and in dreams. 1,570 calories to lead to extreme overeating in response.  

So, where does this number fit into our modern, diet-friendly world? It actually lines up quite closely with what a lot of dieters are eating in their efforts to either reach or maintain their desired weight. I’ve checked in on some of the popular diets that we all hear about in the media, and likely from our loved ones. The most generous diet is the Atkins diet, some versions of which encourage people to eat between 1,500 and 1,800 calories a day. Before the recent rebranding, weight watchers was promoting a 500 calorie deficit (and earning upwards of one billion dollars, but that’s a conversation for another day). Since most people are told that 2,000 calories is “normal,” this adds up to about 1,500 calories a day. It only goes lower from there. Popular diets with prepared food, such as Jenny Craig and Nutrisystem, provide clients with 1,200 calories a day. A version of the Paleo diet that was published in a women’s health magazine also suggested 1,200 calories.  

Come back to this number: 1,570. 1,570 calories for detrimental effects on the mind and body. 1,570 calories for food obsession. 1,570 calories for utter misery. This is a life that people are choosing for themselves, and all for the sake of a body that, the vast majority of time, will not last. The amount of stress associated with dieting is mountainous. It is compounded of the emotional stress of poor body image and low self-esteem, the shame and guilt surrounding food or missed goals, and the physical and psychological toll that a calorie deficit can have on an individual. It’s time we start questioning the motives of an industry that would allow us to reach a state of semi-starvation. It’s time we start questioning whether our quality of life is worth our thinness. It’s time we start questioning whether it is worth damaging our minds and our bodies to appease a society that cares more about thinness than it does about health and happiness.  

For many people, it might be easy to say “I would never starve myself.” I’ve said that myself. Many, many times. But the real question here is: would you semi-starve yourself? 

To read up on the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, check out this article on the American Psychological Association website: https://www.apa.org/monitor/2013/10/hunger