How to Eat in the New Normal
What a 1944 Starvation Experiment Reveals About 2020 Food Insecurity
Even brief food restriction can have long-lasting effects
This story is part of How to Eat in the New Normal, a weeklong series about how the Covid-19 pandemic is changing the way we eat, with expert advice for making food choices that help you stay healthy and happy.
The experiment began in November 1944. Thirty-six young men, each thoroughly vetted for physical health and mental soundness, entered a laboratory beneath the football stadium of the University of Minnesota in order to be starved. A year later, 32 walked out, changed men in a changed world.
The landmark study, now known as the Minnesota Starvation Experiment, was conceived by physiologist Ancel Keys at the height of World War II. With support from the U.S. Army, Keys intended to study the effects of starvation to help guide relief efforts among the famished populations of Europe and Asia. In the end, it served a very different purpose. Today, 75 years later, Keys’ study informs the treatment of eating disorders and highlights the consequences of diet cycling — two issues endemic to postwar America more than anywhere else.
