The length of time a person can live without food varies widely depending on factors such as age, sex, starting weight, overall health, hydration, and environmental conditions. Generally, most people can survive between 1 to 2 months without food if they have access to water
. Here are key points on survival without food:
- Without food but with water, survival can extend up to about 2 to 3 months, as the body first uses glucose and glycogen stores, then fat reserves, and finally muscle tissue for energy
- Starvation symptoms typically begin after 30 to 50 days, and death usually occurs between 43 and 70 days without food, depending on individual factors
- The body undergoes metabolic changes such as ketosis to conserve muscle and use fat for energy during prolonged fasting
- Severe complications and risk of death increase significantly after losing about 10% of body weight or when BMI drops below 16.5
- Without water, survival is much shorter, typically only 3 to 5 days, because dehydration leads to organ failure quickly
- Historical extremes include a man named Angus Barbieri who survived 382 days without solid food, consuming only tea, coffee, water, soda water, and vitamins under medical supervision
- Another case involved a man surviving 18 days without food or water by licking condensation in a cell
In summary, while the average human can survive 3 to 4 weeks without food, survival up to 2 months or more is possible with adequate hydration and fat reserves. However, going without water drastically reduces survival time to just a few days
