Blog #1 Does Eating Less Mean Longer Lifespan? 8/30/12 9:15pm

The results of a study about lifespan that started in 1987 are finally in. For 25 years, a research project conducted on monkeys has been in progress to find out if a very low calorie diet over a rhesus monkey’s life would result in longer life span. The findings were disappointing for the researchers. The life span of the monkey’s on the restricted diet of 30% less calories was not any longer than the control group of monkeys who were on a regular diet. Researchers had anxiously awaited the results only to discover an outcome that was not predicted. Even things like a reduced cancer or other heath diseases percentage was not proved in the results. There is some controversy and confusion to these findings because another study similar to this one that finished in 2009 in Wisconsin had differing results. Even though this one study had a negative result, researches disagree and want to continue to study this topic and do repeat studies to make the findings more accurate.

We can see from the confusion of the researchers that this study is still underway to produce a concrete result.  Mark Mattson shows us a contrasting viewpoint to the study’s findings, “He believes there is merit to caloric restriction. It can help the brain, he said, as well as make people healthier and probably make them live longer.” This goes to show that science in terms of studying human health is a very long process that takes many trials and adjustments. This study in itself is very interesting and, when the results are finally found, can be quite beneficial in understanding the human body and its functions. However, we come across an issue of science in the human health world. Many advancements are being made in the medical field and groundbreaking findings are constantly being added to medical treatment. With all of these advancements, humans are going to start to live longer and longer. How long is too long and when does such advanced medicine become too unnatural and become harmful to the human body? Where do we draw the line with medical advancements? 

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/30/science/low-calorie-diet-doesnt-prolong-life-study-of-monkeys-finds.html?pagewanted=1&ref=health