Climatologic aspects of obesity and therapeutic semistarvation

Multifactor stress was studied, using obese men subjected to long-term (49 d) semistarvation in either a temperate or a not climate. The study was wide in scope, fiving information on endocrine-metabolic effects of a) uncomplicated obesity, b) ovesity in combination with climatic heat, c) obesity plus semistarvation, and d) ovesity combined with semistarvation plus climatic heat. The test subjects--groups of 12 to 13 obese men--remained on a diet which provided 335-400 kcal/d and contained at least 45 g protein, 14 g carbohydrate, and 11 g fat. Overnight urine specimens collected at 7-d intervals were analyzed for epinephrine, norepinephrine, 17-OHCS, ketones, urea, uric acid, creatinine, inorganic phosphate, sodium, and potassium. There was transitory hyperketonuria which related inversely to environmental thermal levels. Most of the physiologic response patterns in the triple-stressor circumstance (obesity plus climatic heat plus semistarvation) were unlike those in the double-stressor situation (obesity plus semistarvation). Thus, there was evidence of compounding of stressor effects. Evidence of diminished sensitivity to heat appeared when obesity was lessened.