In a world where diet trends come and go faster than you can say “keto”, one man from Scotland quietly — and unbelievably — set a record that’s still unbeaten almost 60 years later.
His name was Angus Barbieri. And for 382 consecutive days, this ordinary man from Tayport lived without solid food.
No cheat days. No breaks. No fruit, no snacks, no meals. Just black coffee, tea, soda water, vitamins — and a level of willpower that continues to leave people baffled.
From Fryer to Fasting: Angus Before the Diet
Born in 1939, Angus lived a normal life working at his father’s fish-and-chip shop in Scotland. But by the age of 27, his weight had reached a staggering 456 pounds, the Daily Mail reports.
Desperate to take control of his health, he voluntarily checked into the Royal Infirmary of Dundee in June 1965 with a simple plan: do a short fast to drop some pounds.
What followed was anything but short.
The 382-Day Fast Begins
Doctors originally expected Angus to fast for only a few days — but he wasn’t interested in half-measures. Under constant medical supervision, he committed to a long-term fasting plan that defied every known diet, science, and expectation of the time.
For over a year, his diet consisted of, per The Courier:
- Tea and coffee (sometimes with small amounts of milk or sugar)
- Soda water
- Vitamins
- Yeast for essential amino acids
- Electrolytes
That’s it. Zero solid food. Zero calories from meals.
Despite working around food at his dad’s chip shop, Angus made the tough decision to quit to avoid temptation. He was permitted to come and go from Maryfield Hospital, with doctors monitoring him during each visit.
Shedding the Weight
Barbieri’s transformation was nothing short of jaw-dropping. He lost an average of nearly a pound a day — about 22 pounds per month. His goal was to drop to 180 pounds, and on July 11, 1966, 382 days after he began, he reached that target. By the end of his fast, Angus had dropped a jaw-dropping 276 pounds. He became unrecognizable and could famously able to fit two people inside his old pants.
His first bite of food in more than a year?
A boiled egg. Bread and butter.
“It went down OK. I feel a bit full, but I thoroughly enjoyed it,” he told the crowd of reporters waiting to witness his first post-fast meal.
His story went global, making headlines in the US and Europe alike. Researchers at the University of Dundee launched a detailed study into the effects of prolonged fasting, and his treatment was published in the Postgraduate Medical Journal in 1973.
“Extended starvation therapy must be used cautiously,” the study warned, acknowledging the uniqueness — and danger — of Angus’ case, per History Defined.
The Science, the Skeptics, and the Shock
As the weight dropped, doubts piled up. People asked the same question then that they still ask now: how could a human being go more than a year without food and survive?
Skepticism surrounded the feat, especially after records revealed five deaths linked to long-term fasting attempts. Critics feared for Angus’ health, while others accused him of cheating. But his doctors confirmed: Angus stuck to the plan, and remarkably, no ill effects were observed.
The doctors concluded that despite the severity of the fast, Angus emerged mentally and physically sound. Five years after the fast ended, he reportedly maintained a healthy weight of 14 stone (196 pounds).
A Record That May Never Be Broken
In 1971, Angus’ feat earned him a spot in the Guinness Book of Records for “the longest fast without solid food.” The only person who came close was Dennis Galer Goodwin, who went 385 days without eating — but he was force-fed, disqualifying him from taking the crown.
Today, Guinness no longer tracks or endorses fasting records due to the obvious risks. A spokesperson confirmed: “Due to its specialist nature, the record title is not generally open for applications. We may defer verification or reject submissions entirely to avoid promoting dangerous practices.”
The Man, the Myth, the Legacy
Angus Barbieri lived quietly after his historic fast, raising two sons and eventually moving to Warwick.
He died in September 1990 at the age of 51, leaving behind a legacy that still fascinates dieticians, researchers, and anyone who’s ever stared down a scale.
His story isn’t just about weight loss. It’s about discipline, survival, and the extraordinary capacity of the human body and spirit. Whether seen as a marvel or a medical anomaly, one thing’s for sure: Angus Barbieri didn’t just set a world record. He rewrote the limits of what’s humanly possible.