Surviving grad school on Oreos and multivitamins

Fall break is here, so it is time to catch up on the daily activities we have been neglecting because of school; such as putting away that massive floordrobe that has accumulated, or cooking a well-balanced and nutritious meal rather than survive off of the sad smashed Oreos at the bottom of your backpack. As I reflect on how sad my diet has been over the last 53 days of the semester so far, I wonder to myself: could you actually survive on Oreos if you also take a multivitamin?

 Homeostasis involves complex mechanisms in order to maintain weight, energy production and expenditure and maintain cellular function (Galgani et al, 2008). Cellular function needed to sustain life depends on metabolism homeostasis, which is the balance of both catabolic and anabolic rate of macromolecules and other nutrients. In other words, the intermolecular coordination of chemical signaling and organ systems is used to store and burn fuel to keep you running smoothly (Galgani et al, 2008). 

In our thought experiment, someone who has an increased amount of energy stores (i.e. overweight), could sustain themselves for a longer period of time on a diet of Oreos and vitamin supplements. An extreme case was with a man named Angus Barbieri, who was morbidly obese, survived with no food for a total of 382 days. Barbieri weighed in at a total of 456 pounds when he first participated in a fast that was supervised by medical professionals, but as weeks turned to months, Barbieri decided to keep going until he reached his goal weight of 180 pounds. Doctors monitored his health and noted that he was hypoglycemic which confirmed he wasn’t eating. Barbieri was occasionally given multivitamins, sodium and potassium supplements throughout the duration of his fast (Loria, 2017). Barbieri and other patients who have undergone prolonged periods of fasting were morbidly obese, indicating that fasting is a potential treatment in the field of bariatrics. As the number of obesity cases rises in the United States, more people are likely to turn to fasting trends (Hruby, 2015). 

The average student could survive only eating Oreos and multivitamins, however it’s a terrible idea, considering that three Oreos have 14g of sugar and only 1g of protein, not to mention the saturated fat content! Depending on the amount of stored energy the student has, they could potentially lose weight on an all Oreo diet, but don’t confuse this for a healthy diet. This logic also extends to juice cleanses, “detox” diets, and other fad diets. They are unhealthy even if they do result in weight loss since they lack critical nutrients that a body needs to maintain homeostasis. A combination of diet, exercise, (and an occasional Oreo) is the best way to maintain proper metabolic function and energy balance.

Galgani, J., & Ravussin, E. (2008). Energy metabolism, fuel selection and body weight regulation. International journal of obesity (2005), 32 Suppl 7(Suppl 7), S109–S119. doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.246

Hruby, A., & Hu, F. B. (2015). The Epidemiology of Obesity: A Big Picture. PharmacoEconomics, 33(7), 673–689. doi:10.1007/s40273-014-0243-x

Hill, J. O., Wyatt, H. R., & Peters, J. C. (2013). The Importance of Energy Balance. European endocrinology, 9(2), 111–115. doi:10.17925/EE.2013.09.02.111

Loria, kevin. (2017, March 2). The True Story of a Man Who Survived Without Any Food For 382 Days. Science alert.