The CREEPY effect of starvation to the mind (Experiment)

Summary

In 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

00:00

🔬 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.

05:01

🍞 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.

10:04

🎬 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.

15:05

🏆 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.

Keywords

💡Starvation

Starvation refers to a severe deficiency in the intake of essential nutrients required by the body, leading to a lack of energy and the inability to maintain bodily functions. In the video's context, it highlights the extreme hunger test conducted on healthy men during the 1940s, simulating the conditions faced by people in war-torn Europe. The script describes how the participants experienced both physical and psychological effects, such as obsession with food and a decline in rational thinking.

💡Semi-starvation

Semi-starvation is a state where an individual's caloric intake is significantly reduced but not completely absent, leading to malnutrition. The video discusses a study where volunteers were subjected to semi-starvation to understand the effects and the best methods for rehabilitation. The experiment aimed to replicate the conditions of people who were starving during World War II and to prepare for the massive refeeding efforts that would be necessary post-war.

💡Refeeding

Refeeding is the process of gradually reintroducing food to someone who has been starved or severely malnourished. The video emphasizes the complexity of the refeeding phase as it was more challenging than the starvation period itself. The participants in the study faced psychological hardships during refeeding, with some experiencing despair and confusion, and others even harming themselves due to the intense longing for food.

💡Conscientious objectors

Conscientious objectors are individuals who refuse to participate in war or support military actions due to their personal beliefs or ethical convictions. In the script, these men were particularly drawn to the experiment as it offered them an alternative way to contribute to the war effort without bearing arms. They became the volunteers for the starvation study, motivated by a desire to help others who were suffering from the effects of war.

💡Malnutrition

Malnutrition is a condition that results from an inadequate or excessive intake of nutrients. The video script describes how the participants in the study were subjected to a diet that was monotonous and similar to what was available in central European countries during famine, leading to a state of malnutrition. This condition affected their physical health, mental state, and overall well-being.

💡Mental state

Mental state refers to an individual's psychological condition or mindset at a given time. The video discusses how the prolonged semi-starvation affected the participants' mental states, leading to an obsession with food, a decline in rational thinking, and even instances of insanity. The script provides examples of how their thoughts were consumed by food and how it impacted their daily lives and interactions.

💡Obsession

Obsession is a persistent preoccupation with a particular idea or subject, to the point where it dominates one's thoughts. In the context of the video, the participants developed an obsession with food due to the semi-starvation diet, which affected their ability to focus on anything other than eating. This obsession is exemplified by one volunteer's interest in collecting cookbooks and the participants' fixation on scenes involving eating in movies.

💡Rehabilitation

Rehabilitation is the process of restoring someone to a normal state of health, mind, or function after an illness, injury, or period of substance abuse. The video script describes the three-month rehabilitation phase following the semi-starvation period, where participants were slowly reintroduced to a normal diet. However, this phase was psychologically challenging, with feelings of despair and confusion as their bodies slowly recovered.

💡Nutrition

Nutrition refers to the process by which organisms take in and utilize food substances to maintain life. The video discusses the importance of nutrition in the context of the study, where the lack of adequate nutrition led to severe health consequences for the participants. The script also mentions the need for a substantial intake of raw calories during the rehabilitation phase to help the participants recover.

💡Ethical considerations

Ethical considerations involve the moral principles that guide the conduct of research, especially when it involves human subjects. The video raises questions about the ethics of conducting such a study, where participants were subjected to extreme psychological distress. The script highlights the conscientious objectors' willingness to endure hardship for the greater good, but also points out the lack of compensation and recognition they received after the study.

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