The Minnesota starvation experiment - one man's experienece

BerryH
BerryH Posts: 4,698 Member
Fascinating article and a stark reminder that the experiment had a purpose far higher than establishing the physiology of weight loss.

'During World War Two, conscientious objectors in the US and the UK were asked to volunteer for medical research. In one project in the US, young men were starved for six months to help experts decide how to treat victims of mass starvation in Europe.

In 1944, 26-year-old Marshall Sutton was a young idealist who wanted to change the world for the better. As a conscientious objector and Quaker, he refused to fight in the war but he still craved the chance to help his country.

"I wanted to identify with the suffering in the world at that time," he says. "I wanted to do something for society. I wanted to put myself in a little danger."'
(click link for rest of article)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-25782294

Replies

  • seamaiden1000
    seamaiden1000 Posts: 76 Member
    Interesting article. Puts food, the psychology around eating and the need for healthy diet and dieting in a greater context. The article subtlety conveys a moral message around the reverence of food and our relationship with it.
  • myukniewicz
    myukniewicz Posts: 906 Member
    very interesting article. Thank you for sharing!