Lehigh's Hamster Diet Study Called 'Ridiculous Research'

An animal rights group has named a Lehigh University study involving hamsters on a diet to its "Top Ten List of Most Ridiculous Research on Animals."

The group called In Defense of Animals released the list Tuesday saying taxpayers should know about money spent on animal experiments by the National Institutes of Health. 

Do you agree that this study is a "ridiculous waste" of taxpayer money? Tell us in the comments section below.

The Lehigh study also involved scientists from the University of Michigan.

The group says "Scientists at Lehigh University and the University of Minnesota found that:

• Putting hamsters on a diet had no significant impact on their abilities to perform or enjoy sexual intercourse, although they appeared less motivated to initiate it
• Female hamsters who had been fed 75 percent of what they would normally eat for 8-11 days tended to spend more time with food and less time with male hamsters when given a choice between them.
• They also hoarded more food – big surprise."

The study was supported by:

• Three NIH grants
• Two from the National Institute on Drug Abuse
• One from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases

Lehigh Valley Live reported on the story and asked Lehigh officials for comment but did not receive a response.