annals of disordered eating

Extreme Calorie Restriction Not the Fountain of Youth, It Turns Out

Photo: Corbis

A study published in Nature yesterday threatens to undo years of eating disorder justification. Examining the effects of the Calorie Restriction diet on lab monkeys, the National Institute on Aging found that, contrary to previous reports, monkeys who were kept on a diet restricted by 30 percent did not live longer. They were healthier on average — better hearts and immune systems, less diabetes and cancer — but there was no “longevity payoff.”  Biologists think there might not even be a huge connection between health and longevity after all. (Case in point: Keith Richards.) Now. Who wants breakfast?

Study: Calorie Restriction Won’t Save You