Good News, Paul!

[jumpinggene]

At least if you're a Sprague-Dawley Rat: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20932467

Comments

[technocratic]

I hope we don't have to give up eating every other day in order to live longer, healthier lives! Although I'm sure we'd get used to it if that was the payoff.

[jumpinggene]

I imagine this paper is part of the whole calorie-restriction lifestyle "thing". Calorie restriction in mice has been shown to improve health and extend life. Eating little and doing very little exercise slows down your metabolism, thereby slowing down aging and putting less strain on your immune system. At least that's what I believe the theory is.

I don't think it's for everyone, though - certainly not myself! I love my food and my exercise-endorphins way too much to cut down :)

[blue_aardvark]

I still work out an hour a day. But that's far less than I used to.

[jumpinggene]

That's still more than your average person. Sounds like you've got a good grasp on it, though. I'll be tracking your progress with interest.

[blue_aardvark]

I've been staying with it, and I'm feeling great! (Though I've been alternating between daily reduced calories and alternative day fasting.)

[jumpinggene]

Well done. Has it been easy? How has the adjustment been? How long have you been on it?

[blue_aardvark]

I've been on CR since the start of the year. I'm very careful not to deprive myself--at least not to the point where I become preoccupied with food or eating.

[jumpinggene]

...I also just remembered a research paper looking at the effect of caloric restriction (VERY severe restriction) on the thought patterns of young males. Many of them developed obsessive, anorectic-type thoughts even though none of them had ever been weight-conscious or even wanted to lose weight. I think that's one of the more serious issues I have with the CR movemenet: the risk it poses to people who are predisposed to eating disorders.

[blue_aardvark]

I think the key is not to deprive yourself. If you find yourself thinking about eating, you should probably eat something. I'm no expert though. This just works for me. ;)