Scared...shes not eating!!?

Question

If someone didn't eat for 3 days, how much damage could that do to their body? How about a week? My friend hasnt eaten for 3 days and wants to go a week and says its not anorexia because she will start eating normally again after, but either way I dont think its healthy...how much will she loose? and what kind of damage can it do? I want to be able to tell her the facts maybe talk her out of it.

Answer 1

talk her out of it. she will lose weight, but shes putting her body in starvation mode. This means it will retain and fats she eats when she eats normally again. its slowing her metabolism. So she will lose around 10 pounds, but then she will gain it back plus more when she eats again. Tell her to start on a healthy diet. You dont even need to diet if you just keep active. So wether she likes it or not she will gain it all back plus more until her body goes back to normal. It will not help in the long run at all unless she keeps living like that which will put her in danger later

Answer 2

As long as she is getting her water, a few days won't do much damage other than stomach issues. The brain will need some sugar and electrolytes to function properly so driving is not a good idea.

Weightloss isn't going to happen, the body slow metabolism when you don't eat. Doesn't help weightloss at all. might make your friend fatter in the long run when the body goes in to starvation control.

People "fast" like this all the times in some religions. It supposedly cleans out the system. maybe kills some unwanted intestional bacteria or something.

Answer 3

Wow, I'd be scared, too. Fasting has to be done really carefully, in most circumstances after diligent preparation and possibly with professional supervision! I'm no expert and even I know that! I've heard that a human can survive 7 days without food as long as they consume water, but I'd imagine there would be lots of damage - because a normal person would be very close to death by that point unless one is very well trained and taking the proper nutrients, etc.

I haven't read through the following website so I'm not sure how helpful or accurate it is, but it seems to be a religious site that contains instructions on how to fast safely: http://www.billbright.com/howtofast/fastsafely.html

American comedian and civil rights activist Dick Gregory is famous for fasting in protest and for other reasons, and doing it safely. Maybe look him up, too. If I were you, I'd do some research and make sure she doesn't do any permanent damage to herself. Good luck talking her out of it! Maybe you can scare her with facts, and if she wants to fast for a good reason, you can help her prepare in the future?

Answer 4

Simply tell her that when she starts eating again, shes not only going to gain weight, but she will gain weight faster than ever. Not eating puts your body into starvation mode, which means the metabolism slows and then your body stores anything it gets as fat (because it needs to be prepared to use that fat as energy for the next "fast"). Tell her that not eating will not work, she will end up heavier than she was before.

Answer 5

3 days shouldn't do any serious harm to the body. People have been doing this for religious reasons for ages. I think a week would be stretching it especially if she's not used to fasting. Your body begins to starve at this point and most organ systems will be affected.

Answer 6

all i know is that if you dont eat for 3 days its very easy to not eat anymore! i only ate a bowl of cereal for 3 days and that was in the summer and i was fat and after eating one bowl for each day thats all i wanted to eat and was hungry for and now i'm skinny! i dont think its healthy since she's not eating anything! sorry i didnt really tell you what you asked for but atleast i told you what could happen! well sorta! have you talked to her about it though!? tell her that she'll feel really weak after when she excercises! cause thats what will happen and it could end her up in the hospital!

Answer 7

by not eating metabolism slows down dramatically which means soooooooo much harder fat loss in the future. plus she will gain back even more than lost as soon as start eating normal and all what she will lose is water weight and muscle. end result - higher body fat percentage after crash dieting.

Answer 8

Ok......Not eating for long periods of time can cause major weakness & even death because it can be so bad that later this person won't even have the strength to even eat & might be in the hospital with a feeding tube.

Answer 9

not eating will make your friend uncomfortable and weak. tell her to eat. tell her if she keeps it up she has a huge possibility of passing out. she will be very drowsy after a day or two. her body will use her fat and muscle to survive without the right amount of food

Answer 10

You can go three weeks without food, even though it isn't advised to try. If she doens't eat 4 long enuff, she'll probably start fainting from hunger. But that's about all I can tell you.