Do you need food?

[jackstar7]

This guy has worked out what is effectively an alternative via his own bio-hacking:

Article: http://www.vice.com/read/rob-rhinehart-no-longer-requires-food

His blog post about this: http://robrhinehart.com/?p=298


This is something I've often expected to be lurking around the corner. I'm curious what responses folks have to this idea and all of the rather powerful ripple effects something like this could have for society, conservation, economics...


Also, this bit is amusing on a few levels:

Do you think you'll get bored of Soylent?
Soylent is definitely a permanent part of my diet. Right now I only eat one or two conventional meals a week, but if I had any money or a girlfriend, I would probably eat out more often. I'm quite happy with my bachelor chow. I don't miss the rotary telephone, and I don't miss food.

 

[cwjerome]

I'm a foodie so it doesn't appeal to me at all. But, I can see options and possibilities in society

 

[TheVrolok]

Well, it's not as if he isn't consuming "food," it just isn't traditional. We can certainly survive off similar mixes (see PEG tube feedings, parental nutrition, etc.). That said, just because we "can" doesn't mean we "should." I'd like to know what the long term impact would be. How do things like a lack of fiber affect his digestion? What about transit time and nutrient absorption? Is it impacting his gut flora? etc. etc.

We were designed to eat, and there's a bit more to eating than <insert XX calories>.

 

[jackstar7]

He includes fiber in the mix, by the way.

He lays out the forumla here: http://robrhinehart.com/?p=424

 

[ElFenix]

i was expecting something a bit more radical than what's basically a nutrition shake.

 

[TheVrolok]

i was expecting something a bit more radical than what's basically a nutrition shake.

Yeah, he really hasn't stopped eating. He's basically just "shake fasting." I think he said it's running him 50 bucks/month. I find that pretty hard to believe; even bulk vitamin/mineral sales still tend to be a bit pricey. And he's calculated his daily caloric intake at 900 kcals? I'm not sure how long that's going to be sustainable. That's a fairly massive caloric deficit.

 

[jackstar7]

Yeah, he really hasn't stopped eating. He's basically just "shake fasting." I think he said it's running him 50 bucks/month. I find that pretty hard to believe; even bulk vitamin/mineral sales still tend to be a bit pricey. And he's calculated his daily caloric intake at 900 kcals? I'm not sure how long that's going to be sustainable. That's a fairly massive caloric deficit.

Both those amounts were revised later.

He's closer to 1500kcals and $150/mo as I recall.


A lot of my interest stems from an engineering approach to diet that has come in various shapes and sizes over the years, but if this is low-cost and low-effort, then the efficiency and savings might make it a worthwhile supplement if not a full replacement for typical meals.

 

[TheVrolok]

Both those amounts were revised later.

He's closer to 1500kcals and $150/mo as I recall.


A lot of my interest stems from an engineering approach to diet that has come in various shapes and sizes over the years, but if this is low-cost and low-effort, then the efficiency and savings might make it a worthwhile supplement if not a full replacement for typical meals.

Ah, I just saw a quick post in one of the blog comments. 150/month sounds a lot closer to what I would have guessed. 1500 kcals is certainly better than 900, but still fairly small. I would say that even at that price, it could be a good single meal replacement. i.e. breakfast shake. I wouldn't want to give up solid foods, though.

 

[arrfep]

Interesting. I'm kind of surprised that he, as an engineer, didn't instead try to streamline the feeding process to totally eliminate waste. Would obviously be a harder thing to figure out. I wonder how often he poops...because I've always wondered if it would be possible to engineer a food that doesn't contain anything that leads to human waste. Seems like it would be the next step for his idea.

 

[jackstar7]

Interesting. I'm kind of surprised that he, as an engineer, didn't instead try to streamline the feeding process to totally eliminate waste. Would obviously be a harder thing to figure out. I wonder how often he poops...because I've always wondered if it would be possible to engineer a food that doesn't contain anything that leads to human waste. Seems like it would be the next step for his idea.

He says he poops rarely and not much, basically just the fiber he intakes.

 

[davidthemaster3]

He has two new posts on his blog:

What's in Soylent (the shake) : http://robrhinehart.com/?p=424
&
Two Months of Soylent : http://robrhinehart.com/?p=474

He's been testing it out with a few other people and they seem to get the same benefits that he got.

Plus, he says he's gonna Kickstarter it

 

[TheVrolok]

He has two new posts on his blog:

What's in Soylent (the shake) : http://robrhinehart.com/?p=424
&
Two Months of Soylent : http://robrhinehart.com/?p=474

He's been testing it out with a few other people and they seem to get the same benefits that he got.

Plus, he says he's gonna Kickstarter it

I see that he went from 1550 kcal/day to 2629 kcal/day, sounds a lot better to me. I imagine his Kickstarter will be successful, people love "fad diets." That said, the more "mainstream" this gets, the closer it comes to and typical food replacement/PEG tube feeding/etc. At that point, hasn't he just re-engineered the wheel?

 

[Charles Kozierok]

The fundamental problem with this idea is that if people only ate food out of a desire for nutrition, they wouldn't have health problems in the first place.

I have a hard time believing that the average person who has difficulty staying on Weight Watchers would last more than a few days drinking just this dreck and eating nothing else.

 

[davidthemaster3]

The fundamental problem with this idea is that if people only ate food out of a desire for nutrition, they wouldn't have health problems in the first place.

I have a hard time believing that the average person who has difficulty staying on Weight Watchers would last more than a few days drinking just this dreck and eating nothing else.

I can see your point and I agree. But cooking while trying to maintain a good nutrition is a hassle for most folk. You need time, money and you need to know where to get your vitamins and minerals.

I mostly see this as a solution to people who just want to "eat" and get it over with (because of time, not caring for food/cooking, etc.).

The guy did it for himself because he didn't want to cook and clean-up, not because he wanted to lose weight :

In my own life I resented the time, money, and effort the purchase, preparation, consumption, and clean-up of food was consuming. I am pretty young, generally in good health, and remain physically and mentally active. I don't want to lose weight. I want to maintain it and spend less energy getting energy.

It could also be a good way to just skip a meal from time to time.

He said it himself that is does take discipline :

I’m trying to find the amount of discipline this takes. I personally found I did not have enough discipline to be a vegetarian, but feel Soylent takes much less. Eliminating something entirely from a diet is difficult, and probably unnecessary unless one does so for moral reasons. Eating unhealthy foods only for enjoyment just a few times per week satisfies my psychological cravings, and drinking Soylent the rest of time makes me very healthy. Sustainability is about reduction, not elimination.

 

[nanette1985]

This sounds even more disgusting than the food replacement junk I got in the hospital. Which I barfed up.

Have fun guys.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

That not exactly not eating.

 

[jackstar7]

That not exactly not eating.

Would you call it "food"?

 

[Charles Kozierok]

I can see your point and I agree. But cooking while trying to maintain a good nutrition is a hassle for most folk. You need time, money and you need to know where to get your vitamins and minerals.

I mostly see this as a solution to people who just want to "eat" and get it over with (because of time, not caring for food/cooking, etc.).

Oh, sure, I can see it working for this guy, and others who are like them. But I think there are very, very few people who fall into that category.

I was really thinking more about the average Joes who see this and think it's a great idea, or that it's going to help them with weight control and whatnot.

The people who are going to give him money on Kickstarter -- most of them are in for a rude awakening.

 

[davidthemaster3]

Oh, sure, I can see it working for this guy, and others who are like them. But I think there are very, very few people who fall into that category.

I was really thinking more about the average Joes who see this and think it's a great idea, or that it's going to help them with weight control and whatnot.

The people who are going to give him money on Kickstarter -- most of them are in for a rude awakening.

Sure, just like Weight Watchers or going to the gym. It only works if you follow it through and maintain it afterwards.

There is no miracle solution to anything.

 

[SphinxnihpS]

Would you call it "food"?

Why wouldn't I?

 

[Murloc]

meh I would never do this, food tastes too good, plus you lose the social part of eating.

 

[jackstar7]

Why wouldn't I?

I really had no idea, hence asking.

But given that it is not solid and defies, I think, what most people consider "food", maybe you didn't lump it into that category of consumables.

 

[spittledip]

I love food and enjoy cooking and am not over weight at all btw... but this idea is still very interesting. I think it is a great idea to help feed the poor (and the lazy). He just needs to find something that has a longer shelf life.

 

[Mixolydian]

If I had a million dollars lying around, I would invest it in research to create a meal in a pill. I like eating food and all, but I hate cooking and sometimes nothing sounds good. So just being able to pop a pill and be done with it would be awesome.

 

[davidthemaster3]

If I had a million dollars lying around, I would invest it in research to create a meal in a pill. I like eating food and all, but I hate cooking and sometimes nothing sounds good. So just being able to pop a pill and be done with it would be awesome.

I think the problem with a pill would be the filling sensation.
Our bodies are used to large quantities of food (compared to a pill that is), so I'm not sure a pill is the best idea and it remains to be proven that this shake is.