Man claims he hasn't eaten or had anything to drink in 70 years

[Groundhog]

Probably a fraudster, but still, supposedly he's been monitored for 6 days so far without eating or drinking:

Man claims he ate, drank nothing for 70 years | News.com.au

Man claims he ate, drank nothing for 70 years

SCIENTISTS are studying an 82-year-old man who claims he has not had any food or drink for 70 years. Prahlad Jani’s claims are being put to the test at a hospital in Ahmedabad, where he is being closely monitored and studied by India’s Defence Research Development Organisation, which believes he may have a quality which could help save lives, The Telegraph reports.
He has so far spent six days without food or water under the strict observation of doctors who say his body is yet to show any signs of hunger or dehydration.
Mr Jani is regarded as a "breatharian" who can live a "spiritual life-force" alone. He believes he is sustained by the "elixir" of a goddess.
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The research organisation believes Mr Jani could hold the key to helping soldiers or disaster victims survive without food for longer periods in times of crisis.
"If his claims are verified, it will be a breakthrough in medical science," said Dr G Ilavazhagan, director of the Defence Institute of Physiology & Allied Sciences.
"We will be able to help save human lives during natural disasters, high altitude, sea journeys and other natural and human extremities. We can educate people about the survival techniques in adverse conditions with little food and water or nothing at all."
However, others have dismissed Mr Jani as a "village fraud".
Leading Australian nutritionist, Dr Joanna McMillan Price, said the study was a dangerous and pointless exercise.
"What’s the point? To show spiritual strength? You would struggle to go for more than a week without water and without food, your body starts to break down muscle, eventually attacking the heart muscles needed to provide energy to the brain until ultimately you have a heart attack and you die," she said.
Dr McMillan Price says Mr Jani's beliefs probably helped him overcome basic survival instincts but would not physically sustain him.
"Your spiritual beliefs can give mental strength but the idea that spirituality can replace food and water is ludicrous," she said.

"He would certainly be fighting strong physiological responses. Your body starts getting pretty strong hunger pangs after a few days because your brain is telling you that you need to eat or you’ll die."
Dr McMillan Price said she couldn't see Mr Jani lasting any more than a few extra days without water and she said his fasting gave the wrong message.
"The determination he’s showing is certainly a nice message but I really think it could be put to better use than to go without food and water," she said.

[korme]

Even if this were true, I gotta say, he's missing out.

[claphamsa]

/me buys cheese burger!

[Groundhog]

Maybe he was just a supermodel in his late-teens/early 20s and never grew out of it.

[EagleFan]

Surprised he isn't labeled as a god by now. Hell, there is some fraud there that is treated as a god based on doing parlor magic tricks.

[Groundhog]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Surprised he isn't labeled as a god by now. Hell, there is some fraud there that is treated as a god based on doing parlor magic tricks.

Well, to be fair, there was a fraudster where you are who is treated like a god after coming up with a really, really bad sci-fi story not all that long ago.

[Crapshoot]

Originally Posted by EagleFan

Surprised he isn't labeled as a god by now. Hell, there is some fraud there that is treated as a god based on doing parlor magic tricks.

Aha, you're that American tourist type. Gotcha.

[Marc Vaughan]

Regardless he's gone 6 days without water with no ill effects at that age, I doubt he's the 'real deal' - but thats pretty impressive when you consider generally speaking 10 days is meant to be the survival limit without water and your faculties (both mental and physical) are meant to decay as the time without water extends.

How Long Can You Survive Without Water?

As such I'd expect its entirely possible he has a gene or similar which allows him to operate with less water intake than normal people .... so their studying him seems quite sensible.

(personally speaking I doubt I'd be able to last more than 48 hours before I started begging for a drink, I wake up dehydrated and needing a drink most mornings just from living under air-conditioning here )

[Marc Vaughan]

Originally Posted by Groundhog

Well, to be fair, there was a fraudster where you are who is treated like a god after coming up with a really, really bad sci-fi story not all that long ago.

If you're thinking of 'Hubbard' - then the one thing I liked most about him is that he was very open about the fact he believed religion was 'where the money was' before set set one up ....

(still can't believe people 'joined up' after that, its a bit like a politician being quoted in his early days that he doesn't care about looking out for his constituents so long as he gets his back handers surely )

[Logan]

I'm not impressed until he shows that he can survive a Krispy Kreme Double Down.

[tyketime]

The research organisation believes Mr Jani could hold the key to helping soldiers or disaster victims survive without food for longer periods in times of crisis.

Admittedly the whole story seems a bit odd, but the part I placed in bold struck me as most outlandish. Nothing like a new angle for military superiority!

[whomario]

Well, another couple days and they can do an autopsy, maybe that´ll help narrow it down ...

"We will be able to help save human lives during natural disasters, high altitude, sea journeys and other natural and human extremities. We can educate people about the survival techniques in adverse conditions with little food and water or nothing at all."

so, how´d that work ? Public service anouncements showing the old skinny dude and suddenly everyone is able to sustain without water for weeks ?
Cause somehow i don´t see portable gene-altering kits for sale anytime soon

[whomario]

It´s the 2nd time he´s being tested btw : http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/3236118.stm

BBC article from 2003 about the same dude.

strange hobby ...