Bree

The Bible sez that Jesus fasted in the wilderness for forty days and forty nights. Two Christians in my class decided they were going to follow Jesus' footsteps and recreate this fast (minus the desert part). I have a coworker who is also fasting, but has limited himself to 28 days. All three people agree to drink water and juices, but to let nothing solid pass their lips.

My question: is this even humanly possible? What are the potential side effects? I - having no medical knowledge whatsoever - told them they were dumb as sticks and that the body wasn't meant to starved, but they believe that if Jesus could do it, they can too.

What's going to happen to them?

Toto

I wouldn't count drinking juices as fasting. You can theoretically get a lot of nutrition through juices, if you juice enough fruits and vegetables. But that's still no significant protein, not a lot of fiber, no essential fatty acids.

I've known people who fasted as a therapeutic process. I think you can go for about 7 days without food, as long as you drink water.

I think that on a 40 day fast, even with juices, you can expect strange psychological phenomenon, physical weakness, and possible collapse. The fasters will also be constipated - most people who fast also do colonics. I would not want to be around these people, especially if they are operating heavy machinery.

Here's a site on therapeutic fasting:

http://www.holistic.com/lonny/fasting.htm

thebeave

What's going to happen to them? I'm sure they will abandon the effort within a handful of days. I don't think its any easy thing for the average wimpy American to do. They do know that Jesus did not have access to heavily fortified drinks like Jamba Juice, don't they? I was going to say they were as dumb as a box of rocks, but sticks is OK too. Our evolutionary past has enabled us to go without food for quite a while, but the body does this by using up its own reserves.

If they think they can do what Jesus did, then invite them for a boat ride on the Atlantic Ocean and throw them overboard, and tell them to walk back to the shore!

scombrid

Yeah, well this is because your body drops its metabolism down to conserve resources and has switched from ingested calories to sacrificing non-essential (skeletal muscle and fat) tissue to maintain vitals organs. I would hardly call loosing muscle tone therapeutic. Of course your typical sedentary amurican won't miss the muscle.


Yeah, this happens when you've exhausted your muscle and liver glycogen stores and your body releases enzymes the cause tissue catabolism.

If they sustain themselve on juice they might be able to get adequate daily calories so they won't be doing a true fast. However, they will be lacking essential fatty acids and proteins so they will probably suffer some ill effect. Also, on a true fast they're going to get 'bunged up' but enough juice and they're going to get the skitters. Sounds like a stupid plan to me.



Well, my answer to that is that the 40day fast is a myth just like the resurection so fasting because 'jesus could do it' is about as smart as me jumping from a building to fly because 'Superman could do it'.

Since they are obviously True Believers™, they won't accept the above answer. The answer for true believers is, Jesus was God he didn't need to eat, sleep, or shit.

Dr Rick

The human body can adapt to severe starvation in a number of ways; the IRA Hunger Strikers of the 1980's, the most famous of which was Bobby Sands, provided an excellent though gruesome oppurtunity to study the effects of starvation. Some of them volunteered to be "medically" monitored as they starved to death, and provided much of the information we now have on adaption to starvation. Some of the hunger strikers survived for over 2 months.

The longest recorded almost fast that I'm aware of was over 1 year long; a very obese man did it under intense medical supervision, but he did take a daily nutritional supplement so he wasn't truly fasting.

Rick

Viti

They'll cheat...I gurantee it. Even anorexics take in enough calories to maintain a semblence of life and they have psychological disorders causing an obsession with starving...famine victims also "survive" on very very little because they have no choice.

I do not think relatively healthy, comfortable Americans will have the willpower to be able to handle 40 days.

Bree

So, as far as I can gather, fasting for a long period of time can be taxing on the mental facilities as well as the physical ones. This is moving away from the realm of science/skepticism for a moment - but do you think it's safe to have my co-worker driving UPS trucks (even if it's only around our yard) while starving?

What is your take, scientifically, on the "Diet of Daniel" and other "Bible based" diets (not fasts)?

Viti

Bree, driving a large vehicle while abstaining from food is a dangerous thing IMO. Driving fatigued is comparable to driving drunk and yes, fasting can cause fatique and a diminishment in mental faculties. I would speak with your supervisor about this...print up some medical information on the effects of this.

The thought of a UPS truck mowing someone down due to Lent fasting is a bit scary! I doubt UPS would want the bad publicity

Dr Rick

Prolonged fasting can result in severe metabolic derangements and disturbances in blood pH, which in turn can impair mental and physical capacity.

However, your question may have legal as well as medical implications. I'm not certain that an employer could pre-emptively act against someone that is fasting because of concerns that it might impair them; in this circumstance, it might even be construed as illegal discrimination based on religious practices.

Perhaps the best course of action would be to discreetly observe the driver in question for signs of impairment before taking any action.

The above is a personal opinion. It is not medical advice, nor should it be construed as a substitute for medical care.

Quote:

What is your take, scientifically, on the "Diet of Daniel" and other "Bible based" diets (not fasts)?

Bree, what are these diets?

Rick

Toto

Bree - I don't suppose you could warn me if some of these UPS truck drivers are headed towards LA?

Dr Rick - just google "bible based diet" and you find the best in Christian marketing:

Bible based diet

with Bible Bars based on the foods mentioned in Deuteronomy (I don't want to check if this includes locusts)

and another one