In the starvation study (Keys et al., 1950), men ate half their usual daily calories for 6 months. In this short amount of time, participants became preoccupied with food, as frequently occurs among people with anorexia. They also developed symptoms of depression and anxiety, which are often comorbid with anorexia. This photo shows a researcher obtaining information about a participant’s body before the participant began to restrict his caloric intake.

U. of MN School of Public Health CVD History Archive