[AlanY]

Here's a question I've been wondering about: cooking oil (well lard actually) is the most cost-effective item in the grocery store on a calories per dollar basis. Would it be possible to survive -- even thrive -- by eating only cooking oil and vitamin supplements?

You'd only have to eat about 15 tablespoons of cooking oil a day. Think of the time and money savings from not eating regular meals, not having to pack a lunch, etc.!

This would arguably be healthier than ramen, since you could choose healthy oils like olive oil rather than the pure cholesterol and trans fats that make up ramen.

The only problem I see is a lack of fibre. Strictly speaking you wouldn't need fibre for regularity since you're not eating solid foods, but apparently the body uses soluble fibre in other ways as well. So you might have to supplement with some kind of fibre source occasionally. But other than that, does anyone see any scientific reasons why this plan wouldn't work?

 

[Bizzel]

Oh my. What can I say, I'd hate to use the bathroom where you work!

 

[mwallace573]

I think that under the right conditions a person could survive on just about anything. The real question is would you really want to try?

 

[AlanY]

Quote:

Originally Posted by mwallace573 /img/forum/go_quote.gif I think that under the right conditions a person could survive on just about anything. The real question is would you really want to try?

Why climb Mount Everest? Why learn to play the guitar? This is diethacking, lifehacking... striving for peak time/money efficiency. Could be huge for students and those on low incomes. A major problem for low income people in North America is they tend to eat at fast food places much more frequently than they should... this would bypass all that! Plus think of the Zen awareness this would cultivate.

 

[wes.coleman]

No, I think they would kill themselves about a week into that diet.

 

[ken36]

Quote:

Originally Posted by AlanY /img/forum/go_quote.gif Here's a question I've been wondering about: cooking oil (well lard actually) is the most cost-effective item in the grocery store on a calories per dollar basis. Would it be possible to survive -- even thrive -- by eating only cooking oil and vitamin supplements?

Sure.

 

[appophylite]

Possible, but it sounds like a vile approach.

 

[ecclesand]

You probably could if you don't mind bouts of explosive diarhea. You know...the kind that lift you a few inches off the toilet seat.

 

[tom hankins]

I know a guy who has been surviving on nothing but crack cocaine (and no vitimans) for two years. Next to that the OP diet seems quite healthy.....So yes I think you could survive.

 

[hempcamp]

Not only would you miss fiber, but you'd also miss essential proteins and amino acids you wouldn't get from vegetable oils or vitamin supplements. Your hair would thin, your skin would lose pigmentation, you would develop edema. If you've seen photos of children with Kwashiorkor, this is precisely what you could expect to look like.

Stage two, you would grow extremely weak (or pass out) and your liver would begin to malfunction because your body would develop a glycogen deficiency. This is the same thing that happens to hypoglycemic diabetes patients who don't get their insulin in time.

You wouldn't survive much beyond this point. Your brain would cease functioning, you would become comatose, and you would eventually die.

Bottom line, don't try to hack your body the way you hack your electronics.

--Chris

 

[Bizzel]

Quote:

Originally Posted by hempcamp /img/forum/go_quote.gif Bottom line, don't try to hack your body the way you hack your electronics.

Especially if that includes a soldering iron. Stay safe folks.

 

[fordgtlover]

Possibly, but why? Eating is one of the great pleasures of life.

 

[Wmcmanus]

This thread is useless without pics! Or better yet, movies (of you "eating" your daily dose of vegetable oil).

 

[KevDo]

stuff the cooking oil.. i heard you can survive on Guinness alone!

 

[Bizzel]

You could always put your day's 3 meals in a large blender and make one giant smoothie.