Minnesota Semi-Starvation Study
 
You should familiarize yourself with the questions provided below before viewing the film. This will facilitate your taking note, as the information is given sometimes as part of the narrative and sometimes as an illustration. Some of the information is given over the course of the film, so you will need to come back to some questions more than once. You need to pay attention to the film in order to answer these questions. You will meet in groups after the film to discuss these issues relative to course content as well as scientific thought and methodology.
 
Purpose
Where was the study conducted?
What was the purpose of the study?
What research questions were being asked?
Were the researchers qualified to undertake such a study?
 
Study Design
What kind of study was this?
What was the study design?
What were the criteria for selection?
How many periods were included?
What was the purpose of each period?
How long did each period last?
What were the calorie intakes during each of these periods?
What was this relative to their needs?
How much protein was consumed during the semi-starvation period?
How much control did the investigators have?
How did they achieve this level of control?
Why was the one individual who violated the study protocol on a single day dismissed from the study?
How did the investigators reestablish control?
 
Results
What were some of the major results of the study?
Why did the individuals experience a loss in weight when their calories were increased for one day during the middle of the study?
What is edema?
What relationship does this have to protein? to kcal?
Why did subjects continue to lose weight after the study ended?
Did the degree of weight loss in these subjects surprise you?
 
Conclusions
What were the general conclusions of the study?
How were the data reported?