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ODD SCIENCE

Monkeys Make Diet Breakthrough

Confirming what diet advocates have been saying for years, a long term study begun in 1989 has concluded that rhesus monkeys who reduce their calories by 30% enjoy longer, healthier, lives. The Wisconsin study found that over 20 years, 14 of 38 monkeys on normal diets died of age-related causes, versus only five monkeys on a reduced calorie diet. But despite its findings, the professor who led the study, Richard Weindruch, has been slow to evolve. "I found it difficult to adhere to such a diet, despite studying it for so many years," he told the Wall Street Journal. "I'm not the poster child for human application."

Posted at 6:41 AM, Jul 10, 2009
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Comments ()

keepakeeper43

Finally!!
After 20 years!!!
Thank God for the "Monkey Study"!!
I hope now, this finally convinces you tubby doubters that
"calories count"!!

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7:35 am, Jul 10, 2009

squiggy

30% less calories should be easy, cut out junk food and soda and get a comfort hobby besides eating. I've never understood eating as comfort. Try walking to relax, good for the heart.

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8:09 am, Jul 10, 2009

KateTheGreat

Unfortunately, it's 30% below baseline caloric intake for your height/gender/build...so, about 1500 calories for a 35-year-old 6' tall man. People who adhere to this diet are emaciated, are constantly cold, and look pretty terrible. They do take all kinds of supplements so they aren't malnourished per-say, but ouch! One would have to have a will of steel to pull this off for a lifetime.

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4:13 pm, Jul 10, 2009

guiltybystander

have you ever been around monkeys? it's like "omg, she's sooooo fat" and "you could put a potted plant on top of her ass" and "gimme another beer, fatso" and "that orangutan model is totally bulimic"
so I'm doubting this study

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8:27 am, Jul 10, 2009

Wallysmom

They are particularly into step aerobics.

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9:12 am, Jul 10, 2009

Carole65

Wonder if this study, which exposes nothing new, might be applied to government spending on pork projects?

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8:37 am, Jul 10, 2009

squiggy

Too many of us will give up sugar and not the bacon!

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9:44 am, Jul 10, 2009

sophieozz

Monkeys are not humans and do not live a human lifestyle. Anyway, maybe it's not about the calories, but the quality of food one consumes. Of course, movement helps.

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9:43 am, Jul 10, 2009

ardeth

This has already been proven by willing human research subjects. Why torment and kill innocent monkeys over this ethically questionable, self-indulgent theory? Is living longer what humans ought to do? Where are we going to put all of us, and still have room for the wildlife that has just as much right to live and is necessary for a functioning ecosystem, but is rapidly extincting because of us, since humans keep breeding with impunity, like we're the only species on the planet?

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9:53 am, Jul 10, 2009

HJSinJamaica

Agree on all points. It's too bad it's so easy for us to breed, so difficult for us to manage the results.

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12:02 pm, Jul 10, 2009

EtienneEtoile

Our tax dollars at work!!
Oh, it all comes clear, Reagan was president in 1989.

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10:00 am, Jul 10, 2009

Genni2002

When the study's leader states that he wouldn't be able to stay on the diet himself, one has to wonder what's the point since the guy closest to the payoff doesn't think it is worth it. So, it is a study for what damn fool purpose?

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10:42 am, Jul 10, 2009

This comment has been removed by The Daily Beast's editors.

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12:01 pm, Jul 10, 2009

MaliciousDisorder

Ok, so where's the monkey pill ?

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3:01 pm, Jul 10, 2009
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