I am not sure if it is proven, but with all 3 of my snakes that went on 6 month feeding strikes, they went into shed around the same time after those 6 months and a week after that shed all of them ate. Not sure if this shed is a crucial marking point in the growth cycle or not, but this is just something I have observed with 3 of mine. Lemme know your experiences and I hope this helps for those with snakes that aren't eating.