08/06/2025
Thanks to R. Tucker Reiley, MS, RD and Katie Gilder for your help on my latest article for Equip!
"As a registered dietitian and health writer, I typically rely on recent research to guide my practice and writing. However, there’s sometimes what’s called a landmark study from many years ago that influences the nutrition field significantly enough to guide clinical practice and be a constant in clinician-to-patient conversations. In the field of eating disorders, that study is the Minnesota Starvation Experiment. The Minnesota Starvation Experiment—initially titled The Biology of Human Starvation—was performed by scientist Ancel Keys and his team, and is considered the landmark study that fundamentally shaped our understanding of the wide-ranging and serious effects of food restriction. ..."
In this article:
Overview of the experiment and its findings
The science of restriction: the "why" behind study participants’ drastic mind-body changes
What the experiment tells us about eating disorders
How the Minnesota Starvation Experiment can help you or your loved one in recovery
The so-called Minnesota Starvation Experiment was a landmark study that revealed surprising truths about how food restriction changes people. Learn about the experiment, what researchers found, and what it tells us about disordered eating and restrictive eating disorders.
