Twenty-seven-year-old Angus Barbieri was a big man with a big appetite. At 456 pounds, he was also classified as “grossly obese.” Unhappy with his weight, he decided to take matters into his own hands. In 1965, the six-foot man visited a hospital in Dundee looking to lose a few pounds. The doctors advised Angus to go on a short fast. They believed it might help him lose a little weight. They recommended he fast for 40 days, but they didn’t have high hopes that he would be successful.