How morbidly obese man managed to survive without eating food for more than a year

Stereotypically, when you think of a morbidly obese person you might imagine a person who eats a large amount of food pretty consistently.

However, one 32.4 stone man managed to survive for more than a year on a fast.

In June 1965, Angus Barbieri made a life-changing decision. The Scot reportedly wanted to overcome his food addiction and shed his weight as a morbidly obese man.

So, in his late 20s, he admitted himself into the Royal Infirmary of Dundee to undergo a short fast. Only it didn’t end up being particularly short as he decided to go without food for a whopping 382 days.

Yep, Barbieri went without a morsel of solid food and could instead only drink the likes of black coffee, electrolytes, sparkling water, tea and yeast. Yum.

In 1966, Angus Barbieri made a choice no one else thought he could accomplish. (DC Thomson)

Consuming pretty much zero calories, it’s reported he was shedding about 22 pounds a month on the fast.

And while it might seem like an impossible feat, he was able to survive the huge amount of time without food – although of course, he did have to quit his job at his dad’s fish and chip shop to stay away from the temptation.

Doctors only thought it would last a few days so ended up taking extra steps to ensure Barbieri stayed as healthy as possible.

Frequent checkups

Barbieri had regular trips to the hospital with many overnight stays so doctors could monitor his wellbeing.

Regular tests were performed which confirmed while he experienced hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar), he was still able to function.

Nutritional supplements

As he wasn’t getting any nutrients through eating food, doctors made sure the bloke got the vitamins he needed by giving him supplements including potassium and sodium.

He fasted for over a year with no solids. (DC Thomson)

Fat reserves

Because Barbieri was so overweight before his fast, his body had plenty of fat reserves to rely on when it needed to burn energy.

This was important because the body of course needs energy to survive and it can be dangerous if it runs out, with his fat reserves ensuring this wouldn’t happen.

After the body burns through fat, it can start to use muscle and cause physical changes.

Slow reintroduction of food

Having gone with it for over a year, Barbieri couldn’t go straight back into eating as normal as the shift of fluids and electrolytes could prove fatal.

He stopped fasting when he reached his goal weight of 180 pounds (12.9 stone) and had to slowly reintroduce food.

This began with a cup of black coffee to go with a boiled egg and a slice of bread with butter.

Experts stress that anyone considering fasting - especially in extreme instances such as this - should always consult a doctor beforehand.

Topics: Health, Science, Food And Drink

Jess Battison

Jess is an Entertainment Journalist with a love of all things pop culture. Her main interests include keeping up with the Twitter girlies, waiting for a new series of The Traitors and losing her voice at a Beyoncé concert. She graduated with a first in Journalism from City, University of London in 2021 and has previously worked at MyLondon.

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