Bryan Johnson – The World's Most Expensive Eating Disorder | Hacker News Reader

Bryan Johnson – The World's Most Expensive Eating Disorder

desmolysium.com

18 pointscollected9 comments

Studies more and more are showing that fasting is healthy for us but so many jump straight to eating disorder when they hear about someone not eating for extended periods. By your own research he seems to even be managing his body fat with logic; with the increase to 6%. More studies should be conducted but there's little profit incentive or people with the willpower for not eating so funding lags. Maybe we should embrace this kind of dedication rather than mock it?

Why even write this, by your own admission, cherry picking the negative and making assumptions about dishonesty?

I don’t see this author mocking anyone. This is one of the most balanced analyses of Blueprint I’ve read. Like the author, I respect Bryan and follow his progress, but some of his practices understandably raise questions about longevity:

1. Research shows optimal body fat is closer to 13%. Levels as low as 6% are not supported by studies as beneficial for longevity.

2. Comments about Bryan’s pale appearance aren’t mocking but a valid observation. Pale skin, low body temperature, and a very low heart rate can indicate circulatory issues. While lowering heart rate is beneficial, it follows a U-shaped curve, where excessively low rates—especially during rest—can pose risks, as seen in some ultra-endurance athletes who pass away in their sleep.

3. Bryan’s most concerning stats are some of his heart function measurements where some chronologically age at that of a 70+ year-old. With the average male life expectancy in the U.S. at 73.2 years, his heart may already be near its limit. My hunch is that Bryan focuses heavily on lowering heart rate, body temperature, and blood pressure to counter these poor metrics and reduce risks of heart attack or stroke. However, over-optimization could lead to unintended harm.

I respect Bryan and admire his dedication to health and longevity. His stance against alcohol and on optimizing individual organs may lead to saving millions of lives, as could his focus on extending life in light of AGI. However, there’s a risk of a Greek tragedy, where his pursuit of longevity could become his downfall. I hope this isn’t the case because Bryan is a net positive for humanity, and his efforts have the potential to transform lives.

If you're talking about intermittent fasting, some of the more recent studies are showing that we aren't able to trigger autophagy as we'd hoped, and that the results of most IF users is a reduction in total caloric intake. It's tough to consume the same amount of calories in 2 meals as you'd normally do in 3.

Can you please name some of these studies if you have them handy?

I was looking when I posted the comment, but can't find the relevant studies.

This is the best I'm seeing atm. https://www.medicinenet.com/how_long_do_you_need_to_fast_for...

Most of the studies we see in IF and autophagy are mouse studies. It isn't to say fasting doesn't result in autophagy in humans, just that the time window most IF practitioners use is not long enough.

My impression is that (intermittent) fasting is just a convenient way for many people to decrease their overall calorie consumption. I personally prefer eating low-carb for the same purpose.

I've always seen it as a "candle that burns twice as bright lasts half as long" type thing.

Like, if you want a car to still be roadworthy in 20 years, how often do you drive it? Not never, not all the time. You want the little old lady who takes it to the shop once a week.

No, practices like time restricting eating do more than that, into autophagy, insulin exposure, diurnal effects, SIRT1 and AMPK, and on. You can eat an equal amount of calories in a smaller window of time and see benefit.

It’s not about the fasting, it’s about being chronically low body fat. 6% is comically unhealthy.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com