We humans try to take care of ourselves as best we can and we try to keep our bodies functioning by providing certain needs. We speak, for example, of the consumption of food and liquids with a certain periodicity, of the hours of sleep to revitalize ourselves, etc.
The task, in principle, does not seem arduous, since it is the organism itself that gives us the keys to carry out these needs. For example, when we get very sleepy and the eyelids close, when the throat becomes dry and indicates that we need water or when the belly “growls” asking us for food. But how long can you survive without food? Is it possible to last for days?
How long can you survive without food?
The answer will vary greatly depending on factors such as whether the person in question is under physical exertion or not. Generally speaking, an individual can endure 40 days without eating (although there have been cases of people who have endured 60) and 3-5 days without drinking.
However, and as we have commented, the physical state of the person in question influences a lot, since it is necessary to maintain a balance of liquids and it is necessary to compensate for those that come out either in the form of sweat or urine. This loss can be accelerated with heat or physical exercise, and if the level of liquids in our body is not compensated, we can reach two situations:
- Overheat the body (sweating stops).
- Decreased blood pressure.
When these two factors come together, the consequences are very serious and can even lead to the death of the person. On the other hand, it should be noted that any drink can compensate for these levels of liquids except alcohol, as it is a product that dehydrates even more.
On the other hand, a person who ingests liquids but is deprived of food will last (in case of being a healthy individual) approximately 40 days.
How long can an elderly person endure without eating
To answer faithfully, more than the age we should look at the constitution of each person, since the healthier the individual, the longer it will last. The fact that obese people can better weather famines is no joke because the truth is that the more body fat we have, the greater the resistance to lack of food.
In general, as we mentioned in the previous section, we can endure about 40 days without eating, but it will vary depending on our physical condition and the factors that we face. For example, if this fast begins when we are already lacking many nutrients or if we lack water or other liquids, our endurance will decrease. On the contrary, there have been people who have managed to resist famine for up to 73 days with constant hydration. Let us remember the case of Gandhi, who arrived at 21 days giving small sips of water every day. Thus, there are three fundamental pillars to fight hunger:
- The water that is consumed daily
- The weight of each individual
- The health of each person
How long can a child endure without eating or drinking?
For the little ones, the information given above on how long you can stay without drinking or eating is also adapted; It will be necessary to see the health of the little one, the daily hydration that he obtains and if he is exposed to factors of physical wear and tear. Remember that energy reserves are stored in our body in the form of fat, which is why we must also take into account the weight of the little one.
Within two days of not consuming nutrients, the boy or girl may begin to present symptoms such as extreme fatigue, belly pain, dizziness, etc. On the other hand, it should be remembered that to enjoy good health it is recommended to drink 4 to 6 glasses of water a day (from one year to 10 years) or 8 glasses a day (from 11 to 18 years old).
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