Angus Barbieri's fast


Starting in June 1965, Scottish man Angus Barbieri fasted for 382 days. He lived on tea, coffee, soda water and vitamins, living at home in Tayport, Scotland, and frequently visiting Maryfield Hospital for medical evaluation. He lost and set a record for the length of a fast.

The fast

In 1965, Barbieri, then a 27-year-old from Tayport, Scotland, checked into the Maryfield Hospital in Dundee. Initially only a short fast was planned, due to the doctors believing that short fasts were preferable to longer ones. Barbieri insisted on continuing because "he adapted so well and was eager to reach his 'ideal' weight". For 382 days ending on 11 July 1966, he consumed only vitamins, electrolytes, and zero-calorie beverages such as tea, coffee, and sparkling water, although he occasionally consumed small amounts of milk and/or sugar with the beverages, especially during the final weeks of the fast. He quit working at his father's fish and chip shop, which closed down during the fast. Barbieri's starting weight was recorded at and he stopped fasting when he reached his goal weight of. After his weight loss, he moved to Warwick and had two sons. Barbieri died in September 1990.

Record

In the 1971 edition of The Guinness Book of Records, Barbieri's 382-day fast was recognized as the longest recorded. In 1973, Dennis Galer Goodwin went on a hunger strike for 385 days, but he was force-fed during this period., Barbieri retains the record for the longest fast without solid food, according to Guinness officials. Guinness no longer officially endorses records relating to fasting for fear of encouraging unsafe behaviour.