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Your personal nutritionist
By Mary Hartley, RD
Director of Nutrition

How long can you live without food?
Asked by skinnkyk on Oct 12, 2009 in Nutrition




Answer

On a diet of water only, it takes 50 - 90 days to die of starvation, depending on a person's gender, age and body composition.  Young men with little body fat and high calorie requirements go faster than older, fatter people who need fewer calories.  As an example, in the 1980s, ten Irish male political prisoners in their 20s went on a hunger strike.  They lasted 64 days on average (Range: 46 - 74 days).  However, about two-thirds of the way into a total fast, the victim passes the point of no return to life.



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