question: If a largely obease person were to stop eating completely, but ate the correct vitamins and drank plenty of water, would they be fine?
comment: Looks like they would be. I remember hearing about a man who didn’t eat for a year and found this on snopes: URL_0
passages: BULLET::::- Rare disorders of fat metabolism – There is a rare genetic condition termed isolated vitamin E deficiency or 'ataxia with isolated with vitamin E deficiency', caused by mutations in the gene for the tocopherol transfer protein. These individuals have an extremely poor capacity to absorb vitamin E and develop neurological complications that are reversed by high doses of vitamin E.
   I have personally observed for two or three years men, who were foregoing starches, and in general their bodies were slight and their complexions good. They could withstand wind, cold, heat, or dampness, but there was not a fat one among them. I admit that I have not yet met any who had not eaten starches in several decades, but if some people cut off from starches for only a couple of weeks die while these others look as well as they do after years, why should we doubt that the (deliberate) fasting could be prolonged still further? If those cut off from starches grow progressively weaker to death, one would normally fear that such a diet simply cannot be prolonged, but inquiry of those pursuing this practice reveals that at first all of them notice a lessening of strength, but that later they gradually get stronger month by month and year by year. Thus, there is no impediment to the possibility of prolongation. All those who have found the divine process for attaining Fullness of Life succeeded by taking medicines and swallowing breath; on this they are all in perfect agreement. A moment of crisis, however, generally occurs at an early stage when medicines are being taken and starches abandoned and it is only after forty days of progressive weakening, as one uses only holy water and feeds solely on breath, that one regains strength. (15, tr. Ware 1966:246-7) 
   If the diet is deficient supplement with selenium and/or vitamin E. Injections can be given to treat the condition or as a preventative measure.
  
  Section::::Horses.
   Section::::Related work.
  
  One of the crucial observations of the Minnesota Starvation Experiment discussed by a number of researchers in the nutritional sciences—including Ancel Keys—is that the physical effects of the induced semi-starvation during the study closely approximate the conditions experienced by people with a range of eating disorders such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. As a result of the study it has been postulated that many of the profound social and psychological effects of these disorders may result from undernutrition, and recovery depends on physical re-nourishment as well as psychological treatment.
  
  Section::::See also.
  
  BULLET::::- Dieting
  
  BULLET::::- Eating disorders
   Continuing weight loss may deteriorate into wasting, a vaguely defined condition called cachexia. Cachexia differs from starvation in part because it involves a systemic inflammatory response. It is associated with poorer outcomes. In the advanced stages of progressive disease, metabolism can change so that they lose weight even when they are getting what is normally regarded as adequate nutrition and the body cannot compensate. This leads to a condition called anorexia cachexia syndrome (ACS) and additional nutrition or supplementation is unlikely to help. Symptoms of weight loss from ACS include severe weight loss from muscle rather than body fat, loss of appetite and feeling full after eating small amounts, nausea, anemia, weakness and fatigue.
   Vitamin B, is an essential water-soluble vitamin found in animal products (such as liver, meat, fish, and dairy products). Vitamin B is not found in plant sources; a vegetarian diet can be a risk factor for vitamin B deficiency. Normal daily intake of vitamin B is 7–30 micro gram, cooking has minimal effect on the structure of this vitamin. The minimal daily adult requirement is 1–3 micro gram, and the human body is able to store at any one time about 2–3 milligram, which is sufficient for at least 2 years of impeccable functioning before the source is depleted. In terms of absorption, no more than 2–3 microgram of vitamin B can be absorbed on a daily basis, with some 5–10 microgram of the vitamin B involved in enterohepatic circulation. This is in general a principal characteristic of water-soluble vitamins, in that no matter the oral intake, there is a certain threshold for intestinal absorption hence, low or non-existent chance of intoxication, as opposed to fat-soluble vitamins.
   In order to avoid refeeding syndrome, the person must be rehabilitated with small but frequent rations, given every two to four hours. During week one, a diet high in sugar and carbs is gradually enriched in protein as well as essential elements: sweet milk with mineral salts and vitamins. The diet may include lactases—so that children who have developed lactose intolerance can ingest dairy products—and antibiotics—to compensate for immunodeficiency. After two to three weeks, the milk is replaced by boiled cereals fortified with minerals and vitamins until the person's mass is at least 80% of normal weight. Traditional food can then be reintroduced. The child is considered healed when their mass reaches 85% of normal.
   He was of above average health and fitness when he started the project; he gained 25 pounds (11 kg), became quite puffy, suffered liver dysfunction and depression by the end. Spurlock's supervising physicians noted the effects caused by his high-calorie diet—once even comparing it to a case of severe binge alcoholism. Following Spurlock's December 2017 assertion that he hadn't been "sober for more than a week" in three decades, the claims of his liver dysfunction being caused by eating solely McDonald's food for 30 days have been called into question. 
   Dietary restriction has been shown to significantly increase lifespan in the human model of Rhesus monkeys as well as protect against their age related decline. More specifically, Rhesus monkeys on a calorie restricted diet had significantly less chance of developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer, and age related cognitive decline than those monkeys who were not placed on the calorie restricted diet.
  
  Section::::Role in disease and aging.:Autophagy.
   Poor nutrition affects the brain’s chemicals and functionality. As a result, extremely low weight patients will have difficulty responding to cognitive therapy without first gaining weight. Medically supervised weight restoration is necessary before psychotherapy or many pharmaceuticals can affect the patient’s behavioral health.
  
  Misdiagnosis of the medical complications of eating disorders is common due to the unique physiology of these patients. Eating disorders can slow a resting heart rate and lower a "normal" body temperature range. For this reason, patients should seek specialized care from a doctor experienced in treating eating disorders.
  
  Section::::Mindfulness.
   Symptoms of the deficiency are caused by the inability to reuse biotin molecules that are needed for cell growth, production of fatty acids and the metabolism of fats and amino acids. If left untreated, the symptoms can lead to later problems such as comas or death. Unless treatment is administered on a regular basis, symptoms can return at any point during the lifespan.
  
  Section::::Diagnosis.
   Vitamin B deficiency is potentially extremely serious, leading to megaloblastic anemia, nerve degeneration and irreversible neurological damage. Because B is stored in large amounts in the liver, deficiency in adults may only begin years after moving to a diet which lacks B. For infants and young children who have not built up these stores, onset of B deficiency can be faster and supplementation for vegan children is thus crucial.
   Breatharianism is considered a deadly pseudoscience by scientists and medical professionals, and several adherents of these practices have died from starvation or dehydration. It is an established fact that humans require food and water (nutrients) to survive.
  
  Section::::Scientific assessment.
  
  Documented studies on the physiological effects of food restriction clearly show that fasting for extended periods leads to starvation, dehydration, and eventual death. In the absence of food intake, the body normally burns its own reserves of glycogen, body fat, and muscle. Breatharians claim that their bodies do not consume these reserves while fasting.
   Patients deficient in B despite normal absorption functionality may be treated through oral administration of at least 6 mg of the vitamin in pill form. Patients who suffer from irreversible causes of deficiency, such as pernicious anemia or old age, will need lifelong treatment with pharmacological doses of B. Strategy for treatment is dependent on the patient's level of deficiency as well as their level of cognitive functioning. Treatment for those with severe deficiency involves 1000 mg of B administered intramuscularly daily for one week, weekly for one month, then monthly for the rest of the patient's life. Daily oral supplementation of B mega-doses may be sufficient in reliable patients, but it is imperative that the supplementation be continued on a lifelong basis as relapse may occur otherwise.
   As of 2018, optimal treatment is unknown. A 1998 study suggested that energy restriction and weight loss, for example a 4- to 12-week period of diet and exercise was beneficial. A small study of 11 Asians with MONW published June 2018 found that moderate weight loss through dieting reduced their cardiometabolic risk per improved body composition, lipid profile, and insulin sensitivity.
   The Roman Historian Flavius Josephus writing in the first century described classic symptoms of the syndrome among survivors of the siege of Jerusalem. He described the death of those who overindulged in food after famine, whereas those who ate at a more restrained pace survived.
  
  In his 5th century BC work 'On Fleshes' ("De Carnibus"), Hippocrates writes, "if a person goes
  
  seven days without eating or drinking anything, in this period most die; but there are some who survive that time
   Overweight and obese people, including children, may find it difficult to lose weight on their own. It is common for dieters to have tried fad diets only to find that they gain weight, or return to their original weight, after ceasing the diet. Some improvement in patient psychological health is noted after bariatric surgery.
  
  Section::::Methods of treatment.
   Such epidemiological studies of body weight are not about caloric restriction as used in anti-aging studies; they are not about caloric intake to begin with, as body weight is influenced by many factors other than energy intake, Moreover, "the quality of the diets consumed by the low-body mass index individuals are difficult to assess, and may lack nutrients important to longevity." Typical low-calorie diets rarely provide the high nutrient intakes that are a necessary feature of an anti-aging calorie restriction diet. As well, "The lower-weight individuals in the studies are not a caloric restriction because their caloric intake reflects their individual ad libitum set-points and not a reduction from that set-point."
   Months of depletion are usually necessary to deplete body stores of most nutrients and a nutritional optic neuropathy may be present in a patient with or without obvious evidence of under-nutrition. An individual suffering from starvation could be easily recognized as a person who is undernourished due to their cachectic corporal appearance. However, a not so obvious individual may be the recipient of a gastric bypass surgery, a procedure that may lead to vitamin B12 deficiency from poor absorption. The optic neuropathy associated with pernicious anemia and vitamin B12 deficiency can be seen amongst individuals who obtain adequate caloric input from foods low in nutritional and micronutrient density (see Food desert).
   The body's primary source of energy is glucose; however, when all the glucose in the body has been expended, a normal body digests fats. Individuals with a fatty-acid metabolism disorder are unable to metabolize this fat source for energy, halting bodily processes. Most individuals with a fatty-acid metabolism disorder are able to live a normal active life with simple adjustments to diet and medications.
   A 2006 updated systematic review concluded that the supplements essential fatty acids and magnesium have shown beneficial effects but only in one or two trials and further rigorous trials of these interventions would be helpful. A 2008 review found insufficient evidence to recommend dietary supplements as a treatment in chronic fatigue syndrome. One RCT compared a polynutrient supplement (containing several vitamins, minerals, and coenzymes, taken twice daily) with a placebo for 10 weeks, but found no difference in fatigue scores.
  
  Section::::Research.:Alternative medicine.:Dietary supplements.:Carnitine.
   Finally, in the "stabilization" phase, dieters can essentially eat whatever they want without gaining weight by following a few rules: protein day once a week, eating oat bran every day and making a commitment to "take the stairs". According to Dukan, dieters shall follow this last phase for the rest of their life to avoid regaining weight. The glycemic index (on a scale from 1 to 100) of the kind of carbohydrate consumed is also of importance (see the GI diet).
  
  Section::::Related diets.
   Wiley Brooks is the founder of the Breatharian Institute of America. He was first introduced to the public in 1980 when he appeared on the TV show "That's Incredible!". Brooks stopped teaching recently to "devote 100% of his time on solving the problem as to why he needed to eat some type of food to keep his physical body alive and allow his light body to manifest completely." Brooks claims to have found "four major deterrents" which prevented him from living without food: "people pollution", "food pollution", "air pollution" and "electro pollution".
   Patients will need to take vitamin supplements A, D, E, K and minerals throughout their lives. Analytical monitoring is necessary to prevent malnutrition.
   The EASL recommend energy restriction of 500-1000 kcal/week less than the normal daily diet, a target of 7–10% weight loss for obese/overweight NAFLD, a low to moderate fat and moderate to high carbohydrate diet or a low carbohydrate ketogenic or high protein diet such as the Mediterranean diet, and avoiding all beverages and food containing fructose.
  