The CREEPY effect of starvation to the mind (Experiment)
Summary
TLDRIn the 1940s, the University of Minnesota conducted a harrowing experiment on 36 conscientious objectors to understand the effects of semi-starvation and refeeding. The study, aimed at aiding war victims, revealed profound physical and psychological impacts, including obsession with food and mental breakdowns. The experiment's findings on caloric needs and the challenges of rehabilitation were published years later, highlighting the extreme sacrifices made by the participants for scientific knowledge.
Takeaways
- 🔬 The Minnesota Starvation Experiment was conducted in the 1940s to study the effects of semi-starvation and refeeding on healthy men, aiming to help millions who were starving during World War II.
- 📚 The study was led by Ansel Keys and was designed with five phases, including a baseline period, a semi-starvation phase, and a refeeding phase, each lasting 12 weeks.
- 🍞 During the semi-starvation phase, participants were given monotonous meals simulating the diets of Central Europeans during famine, with approximately half of their caloric needs met.
- 🏃♂️ Participants were expected to maintain their regular routines and activities, including walking 22 miles weekly and half an hour on a treadmill, despite their reduced energy.
- 🧠 The experiment revealed significant psychological effects, with men becoming obsessively fixated on food, to the point where it consumed their every thought and led to mental breakdowns.
- 💔 One volunteer harmed himself due to the unbearable mental strain of the experiment, highlighting the severe impact on mental health.
- 🥄 The refeeding phase was surprisingly more challenging than the starvation period, with participants experiencing despair and confusion as their bodies slowly recovered.
- 🛑 Some participants were removed from the study for cheating or losing control, indicating the difficulty of maintaining the study's strict conditions.
- 🎬 The script includes a sponsorship message for Surfshark VPN, emphasizing the channel's first brand deal and the benefits of using a VPN for streaming and security.
- 📉 After the war ended, the findings of the experiment were not immediately utilized in the fight against post-war world hunger, and the study's results were not published for another five years.
- 🙏 The participants, being conscientious objectors, were not compensated by the U.S. government nor received veterans' benefits, underscoring their selfless contribution to the study.
Q & A
What was the primary purpose of the hunger study conducted at the University of Minnesota in the 1940s?
-The primary purpose of the hunger study was to understand how to best refeed individuals suffering from severe malnutrition, particularly those affected by the war in Europe.
Who were the volunteers for the starvation experiment and why were they chosen?
-The volunteers were conscientious objectors, men who refused to participate in the war on the grounds of conscience. They were chosen because they were willing to contribute to the war effort in a non-violent way.
How many phases did the study have and what was the duration of each phase?
-The study had five phases in total, each lasting 12 weeks. The phases included a baseline period, a semi-starvation period, and a rehabilitation phase.
What was the diet like during the semi-starvation phase of the experiment?
-During the semi-starvation phase, participants were given two meals a day from monotonous menus that simulated the food scarcity experienced in central European countries during famine, consisting mainly of whole wheat bread, potatoes, cereals, turnips, cabbages, and a small amount of dairy and meat.
How did the physical condition of the participants change during the semi-starvation phase?
-The participants' physical condition deteriorated significantly. They lost energy, struggled with simple tasks, and had to adapt to the physical strain, such as bringing pillows everywhere for comfort.
What psychological effects did the experiment have on the participants?
-The experiment had severe psychological effects, including an obsession with food that consumed their every thought, mood swings, and in some cases, a descent into insanity.
What was the most challenging aspect of the study according to the participants?
-The most challenging aspect of the study was not the period of starvation itself, but the subsequent refeeding phase, which was psychologically difficult for the participants.
What was the impact of the experiment on the participants' daily routines and activities?
-The participants were allowed to continue their regular jobs and activities as long as they did not interfere with the experiment. However, the semi-starvation affected their ability to perform even simple tasks and maintain their usual routines.
What was the significance of the sponsorship mentioned in the script?
-The sponsorship mentioned in the script is significant as it represents the channel's first brand deal with Surfshark VPN, allowing the content creator to continue producing high-quality videos and earn revenue from their work.
What were the consequences for the participants after the experiment ended?
-After the experiment, the participants did not receive any payment from the U.S. government and did not qualify for veterans' benefits, as they were conscientious objectors and not soldiers.
What were the findings of the Minnesota starvation experiment regarding the refeeding of malnourished individuals?
-The experiment revealed that starving individuals require a substantial intake of raw calories, up to 4,000 per day, during the refeeding process.
Outlines
🔬 The Minnesota Starvation Experiment
In the 1940s, the University of Minnesota conducted a study on the effects of semi-starvation and refeeding on healthy men. The experiment aimed to assist in the rehabilitation of World War II victims of malnutrition. The volunteers, mainly conscientious objectors, endured a six-month period of semi-starvation, followed by a challenging refeeding phase. The study revealed significant physical and psychological impacts, including obsession with food, loss of interest in other activities, and even self-harm. The experiment was divided into five phases, starting with a baseline of normal eating, followed by semi-starvation, and concluding with the refeeding phase. The findings were not immediately utilized due to the war's end but later became a classic study in the field.
🍞 The Psychological Torment of Semi-Starvation
The semi-starvation phase of the Minnesota experiment led to an obsession with food among the participants, overshadowing all other interests. As their caloric intake was drastically reduced to simulate wartime famine conditions, the men experienced physical decline and mental distress. They engaged in activities related to food, such as collecting cookbooks, and their social lives revolved around eating. The experiment's monotonous diet, designed to reflect the scarcity of food in war-torn Europe, was consumed with relish despite its lack of variety. Some participants even succumbed to stealing food or breaking their diet, leading to their removal from the study. The psychological effects were profound, with some men losing rational control and engaging in self-destructive behaviors.
🎬 Sponsored Content and the Experiment's Aftermath
The script includes a sponsored segment promoting Surfshark VPN, highlighting the benefits of a VPN for secure internet browsing and unrestricted streaming. The sponsor's offer provides three months of free service with a significant discount thereafter. Returning to the experiment, the rehabilitation phase was anticipated to be a relief for the participants; however, it turned out to be even more psychologically challenging. The men were allowed only a limited increase in calories, leading to continued weight loss and feelings of despair. One participant, Sam Legg, experienced a severe case of semi-starvation neurosis, which resulted in self-inflicted injury. Despite the war's end before the study's completion, the experiment continued, and the findings were published years later, providing valuable insights into the needs of malnourished individuals.
🏆 The Legacy and Ethical Debate of the Starvation Study
The Minnesota starvation experiment concluded with the participants finally allowed to eat freely, although their weight gain was slow and insufficient even after three months of rehabilitation. The study's results were not immediately applied due to the war's end but later became influential in understanding the nutritional needs of starving individuals. The participants, who were conscientious objectors, did not receive payment or veterans' benefits for their contributions. The experiment raises ethical questions about the value of the insights gained versus the extreme psychological distress suffered by the participants. It serves as a reminder of the sacrifices made by those who contributed to scientific knowledge in unique and challenging ways.
Mindmap
Keywords
💡Starvation
💡Semi-starvation
💡Refeeding
💡Conscientious objectors
💡Malnutrition
💡Mental state
💡Obsession
💡Rehabilitation
💡Nutrition
💡Ethical considerations
Highlights
In the 1940s, a study at the University of Minnesota subjected healthy men to a six-month hunger test to understand the effects of starvation and refeeding.
The most challenging aspect was not the starvation period but the refeeding phase, with severe psychological effects.
Participants became obsessively fixated on food, to the point of insanity for some, during the experiment.
The study aimed to aid millions starving during WWII by finding the best way to refeed them.
Ansel Keys and colleagues proposed the experiment due to limited knowledge on rehabilitating severe malnutrition.
36 conscientious objectors were chosen as participants, motivated by an alternative way to contribute to the war effort.
The study had five phases, including a baseline, semi-starvation, and rehabilitation, each lasting 12 weeks.
During semi-starvation, participants were given monotonous meals simulating the diet of war-famine victims.
Physical tasks became increasingly difficult, and participants' energy levels dropped significantly.
Mental health deteriorated, with some participants experiencing a decline in reason and rationality.
The refeeding phase was psychologically harder, with limited calorie increase leading to despair.
One participant, Sam Keys, chopped off his fingers in a state of semi-starvation neurosis.
The experiment's findings were not immediately used due to the early end of WWII and took five years to be published.
Participants were not compensated by the U.S. government and did not qualify for veterans' benefits.
The study revealed the need for a substantial intake of raw calories, up to 4,000 per day, for starving individuals.
The experiment's insights raise ethical questions about the value of the knowledge gained versus the participants' suffering.
The Minnesota starvation experiment has become a classic in research due to its rich detail and unique methodology.
Transcripts
starvation is a natural response when we
become hungry but what if the feeling of
starvation lasted for a whole six months
in the 1940s a group of healthy men
underwent the ultimate hunger test as
part of a study conducted at the
University of Minnesota surprisingly the
most challenging aspect of the study was
not the period of starvation but the
subsequent refeeding phase even more
disturbing were the effects on their
mental state throughout the ordeal they
became utterly fixated on food to the
point where it consumed their every
thought some even descended into
insanity and one volunteer even harmed
himself because he could no longer bear
it all of this was done in the name of
aiding the millions of people who
unwillingly starve during the war what
exactly transpired during this harrowing
experiment
foreign
in the midst of World War II where
people all over Europe were starving the
U.S military wanted to find the best way
to refeed them so an experiment was
conducted with the reason painted as
they the volunteers starved so that
others will be better fed at the time
there was limited scientific knowledge
about how to rehabilitate individuals
but suffered from severe malnutrition
and so Ansel keys and his colleagues
proposed a bold human experiment
subjecting volunteers to semi-starvation
and then refeed them for the study to
push through the first thing Keys needed
were participants but how do you get
volunteers to participate in being
hungry all the time surprisingly the
answer was as simple as setting out
brochures with a thought-provoking
question will you starve so that others
may be better fed this appeal resonated
particularly with conscientious
objectors men who refused to take part
in the war on the grounds of conscience
for them it provided an alternative way
to contribute without bearing arms in
the end 36 able-bodied men were chosen
from a pool of conscientious objectors
the study had five phases in total each
lasting 12 weeks in the first phase the
36 men underwent a three-month period of
normal eating this phase served as the
Baseline to establish their normal
physical and mental state they were
given the same diet but were suited
according to their body requirements at
this phase the staff measured every part
of their body imaginable such as weight
height stomach size eyesight hand eye
coordination bone density and lung
capacity and samples were also taken
such as urine stool sperm and bone
marrow their usual mood and personality
were taken note of as well while the
first three months were easily
manageable they were simply doing their
normal routine anyway but the same
cannot be said for the following six
months on the 12th of February
1945 the phase of semi-starvation began
marking the start of the experiment's
true Horrors they were only given two
meals a day out of three different menus
the meals they were given were cycled
each day and start over again once they
finish each cycle the menus were
designed to be monotonous and similar
with the food found in central European
countries during famine which consists
of whole wheat bread potatoes cereals
turnips and cabbages and a small amount
of dairy and meat were also added
approximately half of their caloric
needs were cut off from their meals
during the entirety of this period the
goal of this was to simulate famine
which was faced by the people during the
war but in this simulation the
participants were allowed to continue on
with their usual routines they
maintained their regular jobs and
activities as long as they did not
interfere with the experiment in the
first few weeks they still had a bit of
energy to go along with their team but
gradually the simplest task became too
much for them walking a flight of stairs
became impossible without taking a break
or two sitting straight became a pain so
they had to bring pillows everywhere
they go to act as a cushion and to add
to their physical strain they were also
expected to walk approximately 22 miles
and spend half an hour on a treadmill
each week it became too much for them
that they would run to the point of
collapse all they wanted to do was lie
down in the Sun and wait for the six
months to be over one of the men Jay
Garner said we would go into a
restaurant and order just a cup of
coffee and sit and watch other people
eat and it bothered us to see people
come in only eat half of their food and
just leave the other half they tried to
find ways to cope with their hunger but
it all revolved around the obsession of
food one volunteer took great interest
in collecting cookbooks to drool over
their obsession over food have also
muted their desire for women while some
of the men continued to pursue romantic
relationships in reality none of them
truly felt any interest in them the ones
who maintained their dating life was in
reality competing with one another of
who can date the longest sometimes they
would go watch a movie but comedic
scenes were no longer funny and love
scenes were boring can you guess which
scene is the best for them the parts
that involve people eating when it was
Meal Time each and every one of them had
their own way of savoring their food
some chose to eat it as quickly as they
can and not have to think about it
whilst others chose to eat it as slow as
possible savoring each bite remember how
the food was designed to be monotonous
well the volunteers didn't really care
whether or not it was monotonous as long
as it was food everything tasted
delicious one of the volunteers even
said even the dirty crust of bread in
the street looked appetizing and we
envied the fat pigeons pecking at them
about two months into the experiment is
when the study started to get into their
heads some of the men started to break
down they completely lost control over
themselves one man went to a grocery
shop but didn't buy anything
shoplifted what the man took were
potatoes carrots and onions root
vegetables that were the basis of their
diet and stuffed himself another man
coming back from his 22 miles walk
downtown stopped by an ice cream shop to
order a dish of ice cream once he
started eating he couldn't stop himself
so he ordered some more on his way to
the lab over and over again until he
reached the lab to report that he had
failed to maintain his diet what these
men were experiencing were the decline
to reason rationally and thus the men
were either removed from the experiment
or dropped from the final results for
cheating for not losing weight according
to plan ever since then the staff
wouldn't let the volunteers walk on
their own they either had to walk with
their partner or a staff member to keep
each other accountable from losing
control
now before we enter the most disturbing
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to the starvation experiment
on July 29
1945 as the starvation phase was coming
to an end the men's anticipation grew as
they couldn't wait to eat normally again
because what comes after the starvation
phase is the three-month Rehabilitation
phase
to their surprise however their
suffering intensified even further
during this period it ended up being
psychologically the hardest phase for
most of the men the participants were
put on a very limited increase in
calories which was excruciatingly
disappointing for them rather than
gaining weight at the beginning of the
phase they continued to lose weight as
their bodies slowly recovered and
replenished with healthy tissue this led
to feelings of Despair and confusion to
the extent that one volunteer could not
explain his actions even after 50 years
one such incident involved Sam lag and
his fellow participant who were visiting
friends for dinner during their rehab
phase carrying their own pre-measured
food from the lab they sat beside a
fireplace on a late summer evening as
the fire started to die down Sam
suddenly stood up claiming he knew where
the wood pile was and that there was an
ax outside he said he needed to split
some wood to add to the fire being just
the third week of Rehabilitation Sam lag
weighed only about
113 pounds and could hardly lift the ax
and then for whatever reason he brought
down the ax to his left hand chopping
away three of his fingers I admit to
being crazy mixed up at the time like
says many years later the scientists
referred to this as a severe case of
semi-starvation neurosis immediately he
was sent to the hospital to get stitched
up and he remembered vividly the horror
on the young Hospital staff's face as
she thought he ate them but in reality
he buried them in a backyard in
Minneapolis reports from the experiment
noted that black was desperate to end
the ordeal but at the same time was also
despondent about the prospect of the
study not succeeding with a stitched up
hand Sam lag went back to the lab and
finished the experiment and now we reach
the final part the men were finally
allowed to eat whatever they wanted they
binged on food so heavily that they got
sick this phenomenon was similar to what
was observed in survivors of the
concentration camps although it was the
end after three months of rehab the man
gained weight so slowly that they were
still underweight by the end of it
[Music]
General Eisenhower and Farms May that
the forces of Germany have surrendered
to the United Nations the war came to an
end unexpectedly early the whole point
of the experiment is to serve the
millions who became victims of the war
the announcement of Japan's surrender
interrupted the men while they were
eating the food was the important thing
we did not care whether the war was over
or not as long as we got our food
Germany surrendered in May and Japan in
August months away from the deadline of
the experiment the U.S military was
desperate for answers from Dr keys and
he could only give tentative answers
about what he knows in the study so far
in the end the battle against post-war
world hunger was largely fought without
the findings of the Minnesota starvation
experiment this story seems to have no
shortage of twists as even at the end of
the experiment since the test subjects
were conscientious objectors the U.S
government never paid them and since
they were not soldiers they did not
qualify for veterans's benefits as well
these men have fought their own
Battlefield in their own way they served
their country and sacrifice themselves
while doing so in their own way these
men were scarred in a war they fought
and undeniably their contributions
should not be left unheard the impact of
the study only came years later because
it took another five years until the
study was finally published because of
its Rich detail and how unique it is the
research has become a classic in summary
the experiment revealed that starving
individuals require a substantial intake
of raw calories up to 4 000 per day now
ask yourself were the insights collected
from the experiment worth the extreme
psychological distress endured by the
participants and if given the chance
would you do the same
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