When a person dies, is there a measureable weight loss, and why?

When a person dies, is there a measureable weight loss, and why? I remember reading something about this in a Kubler-Ross%26#039;s Death and Dying class, but was sleeping or something else held my fancy at that time - probably the living cutie pies in the front row. I thought it was said that ALL possible weight variables were controlled for with hospice patients who volunteered for this %26quot;study,%26quot; and it was proven conclusively that everytime a person died, there was recordable weight loss between 1-5 lbs!

Best Answer

Greetings,

Read Mary Roach%26#039;s %26quot;Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife%26quot;, or %26quot;Stiff: The Secret Life of Cadavers%26quot;.

In both books she references to the famous experiment by Dr. Duncan Macdougall who did try to weigh the soul by putting a dying person on a scale and observing any changes in weight. He got one case where there was a change of 3/4 of an ounce (21 grams). He claimed to have replicated the event five times, but nobody else has ever replicated the experiment. Even if they did, how could anyone be sure that the difference in weight was due to the soul leaving the body?

There is no weight loss when you die other than the sphincters releasing all your stools, and the extremely minor loss of evaportation. I highly recommend reading Ms. Roach%26#039;s books if you have any interest at all.

-matt

Asker's Rating:

tanks.

Other Answers (2)

• I would assume that the weight loss was contributed to the loss of air and gasses held in the body cavity that escapes after death. also, bowl movements and urine are ejected from the body. Blood, water, and mucus not being replinshed...this could contribute to at least 1-5 lbs.
• Well... I can imagine a couple of things that could account for the weight loss. First, evaporation of water. our bodies are something like 98% water, and us dieing and not replenishing the water that evaporates would have a significant effect on weight.