Thought experiment

Hey there, my fellow health nuts...

So, here's a little something to chew on—just some food for thought and a bit of speculation...

So, let's say we're looking at this scenario...

So, imagine this... you’ve got someone who is perfectly healthy—man or woman, doesn't matter—and they just decide to stop eating everything else. Like, zero. They switch to a diet that consists strictly of chocolate and water. Just that. And let's say they eat exactly enough chocolate to hit their daily calorie needs—so they aren't gaining weight or losing weight, they're just staying right where they are... If someone actually hates chocolate, though, we could even say they're just living on walnuts or something equally calorie-dense.
So, what would actually happen to our hero? I mean, obviously he’d kick the bucket eventually—that’s just how life works—but when, how, and why exactly? Like, what would be his first major red flag? Personally, I feel like his digestion would absolutely tank within three or four days... that’s usually where things start going south. What would be the actual breaking point that lands him in an American hospital?

Of course I get that nobody is actually going to try this—well, hopefully anyway!—but let's just have a little fun and speculate what it would even look like if they did...

Gastritis would likely be what takes him down first—all that sugar would trigger a massive acid surge, and since he’s barely eating anything, there wouldn't be enough food in his stomach to buffer or dilute the acid anyway.

What would be his first major issue? (I feel like his digestion would totally go south in maybe 3 or 4 days?) Like, what would actually land him in the ER?

A bowel obstruction. I don't know the fancy medical term for it right now, but you know what I mean...
But honestly, his digestion might not even be the main thing; he could probably survive on just chocolate for quite a while... I mean, if he's eating like 7 ounces of chocolate a day, he’d technically stay alive without gaining any weight...

There once existed a hypothetical study exploring the potential consequences and ultimate longevity of an individual who decided to consume nothing but a single type of food every single day.

It was concluded that after enduring a grueling succession of various ailments and systemic physical distress caused by a profound deficiency in specific vitamins and essential nutrients, one would eventually succumb. It is quite evident that survival is not merely a matter of calculating the total calories ingested.

The clear victor in this scenario would undoubtedly be the gyro; it would likely grant a person approximately fourteen years of life.

I seem to recall reading somewhere once—it was quite a while ago, I think—that during the Vietnam War, some of the prisoners were subjected to this incredibly brutal regimen where they were fed nothing but meat. It’s a heavy thought, but I suppose if you were forced onto such a restricted diet, your body would just give out after a month or two.

Seriously though, you guys have ☕ such a massive chocolate obsession that you're actually out here dreaming up chocolate-themed suicides.

neonsailor12 said:The winner was basically a food truck. Been doing it for like 14 years.

I guess this is good to know.😁

neonsailor12 said:The winner was definitely the kebab place. They've been around for like 14 years now.

I mean, it’s probably just because you get meat, some kind of flatbread, and who knows what else they throw in there.
I'm actually curious though—what would happen to someone if they ate just ONE single thing...

Or, if we go with 😉 someone's suggestion, let's say we imagine a hypothetical scenario where a person is only getting an IV drip of pure glucose... and again, let's assume they're getting exactly enough calories to cover what they burn!

Alright, come on, you experts out there—let me hear what you've got!

Wait, so this American guy actually ate nothing but McDonald's for a whole month and then filmed it?!

I tried eating nothing but chocolate for an entire day once, and man... I felt so lightheaded after that stupid experiment. Pretty sure I even lost a little weight too.🙄

It’s not just about the calories, though. It’s the actual nutrition. Getting the right mix of ingredients is what keeps your metabolism running smooth. You could eat 50 cookies a day and still end up malnourished and totally wrecked.

Also, why are you calling this a "thought experiment"? It’s just some hypothetical "experiment" that has zero to do with cognitive science...
😕

northernfalcon30 said:So, why are you calling it a "thought experiment" anyway?

Well, usually when people say "thought experiment," they’re talking about those hypothetical scenarios that are basically impossible—or at least really hard—to actually pull off in real life... so you just in your head try to wrap your brain around how things might play out!

Back in elementary school, there was this one girl whose parents were basically ghosts, never around
she lived almost entirely on nothing but snack cakes and candy
after about two months of that, she actually broke her leg just walking up some stairs and ended up in the hospital with severe rickets
I guess we’re all a little too spoiled these days, constantly nitpicking what we like and what we don't
it would probably be a lot smarter if we just learned how to appreciate some variety

Rachel Brooks63 said:So, just imagine someone being hooked up to nothing but a pure glucose drip,

We saw this exact thing happen in the movie Seven, and apparently, it actually works...
The guy was also strapped to the bed, totally wasted away with muscle atrophy, basically hovering between life and death. But honestly, I think he’d probably kick the bucket from pressure sores way before that would finish him off...

People who have been sentenced to lifelong total parenteral nutrition don't just get a steady drip of glucose or plain saline. They need the whole works—everything required to stay alive. And if I recall correctly, this kind of specialized medical regimen is obscenely expensive. You can't simply rely on glucose alone; since it's dissolved in water, the body ends up flushing it out, which leads to a massive loss of electrolytes. If you aren't replenishing those levels, things go south very quickly. Honestly, even a candy bar has more nutritional complexity than that, though it lacks certain essential vitamins. I suspect any attempt at using chocolate as a substitute would be shut down immediately due to the inevitable gastritis issues.

It’s honestly not as pricey as you’re making it out to be—I mean, a couple of servings is only about $2.00, and you usually need like 3 or 4 cans a day...

But look, we aren't really here to talk about IV nutrition or anything like that!

nimbledriver81 said:It’s really not as overpriced as you’re making it out to be. A standard serving is about 8 ounces, which runs roughly $2.00, and you'd likely need 3 or 4 cans a day...

But let’s be clear: IV nutrition isn't the point of this discussion!

I have no idea what those medical preparations actually look like or what the price tag on them entails, but you're right—IV feeding is not the topic at hand.

So how did the concentration camp survivors actually make it through? I mean, weren't they stuck eating the exact same thing every single day too?
I bet it's not quite the same feeling as eating nothing but bread or chocolate every damn day...

nimbledriver81 said:Alright, come on—I want to hear from all you self-proclaimed experts out there!

A shot in the dark (since I really can’t be bothered to dig through my textbooks right now, so there's a fifty-fifty chance I'm totally off base 😁): chocolate doesn't exactly pack the protein punch you'd need to prevent muscle atrophy; it's loaded with fats—think clogged arteries; and those carbs? They've been stripped of all the fiber, so they hit your bloodstream like a lightning bolt only to burn out just as fast—leading to those constant, roller-coaster insulin spikes. 🤔 On the flip side, you get that massive serotonin surge, which keeps your mood up... honestly, I'd probably die happy.

🙂 I think I'll just go ahead and commit chocolate-induced suicide. 🙂

nimbledriver81 said:muscle atrophy;
clogged arteries;
constant insulin spikes

I’d die happy.

Everything you just laid out would be such a slow burn... I mean, I assume all that stuff would eventually happen, but do you have any idea how long we're actually talking about here?

Rachel Brooks63 said:Everything you just laid out sounds like it would be such an incredibly long-winded process... I mean, I assume all of that would eventually play out, but do you have any sort of actual guess as to how long we're talking here?

Honestly, I haven't the slightest clue. 😬 If anything is going to be the death of me—and I mean truly, catastrophically end my journey—it’ll likely be my right sneaker tripping me up, rather than some chocolate bar!

Rachel Brooks63 said:Honestly, I have no clue. 😬 If anything's gonna be the death of me, it’ll probably be my right sneaker—not some chocolate...

If that isn't pure philosophy right there, I don't know what is... 🤣