Climate activist Sonam Wangchuk has now entered the 18th day of his hunger strike at Delhi’s Jantar Mantar, raising a question many are now asking: how long can the human body actually survive without food? Here’s a simple breakdown of what happens to the body during a prolonged hunger strike.
How long can the human body survive a hunger strike?
According to the reports from the experts, the human body can survive without food for around 6 to 8 weeks if the person continues drinking water but if the person is not having water then it is said that he can only survive for a few days. This factor also varies according to the person’s age, body weight, muscle mass, metabolism, and any pre-existing health conditions.
What happens after 24 hours, 3 days, a week, and beyond?
Here is the breakdown of what happens after 24 hours, 3 days, a week, and beyond if you are on a hunger strike according to the experts.
The expert says that during the first 24 hours the body runs on the stored glucose which also leads to a mild hunger and low energy. Then around day 3 the glycogen stores run out and the body starts burning fat for fuel which brings fatigue and the person also faces difficulty while concentrating. After a week the body starts breaking down muscle, including heart muscle to get the energy and often drop of blood pressure, dizziness and weakness become common. Now after two to three weeks and beyond the serious risk emerges like the electrolyte imbalances, irregular heartbeat, kidney strain, and eventually organ failure. Many documented cases show irreversible damage can begin well before the 6-8 week mark, depending on the individual.
What doctors say about the health risks?
Doctors says that these figures are just the estimated ones but not guaranteed as some hunger strikes have even shown some severe complications within just two to three weeks which is said to be critical by many medical experts.
Why is Sonam Wangchuk on a hunger strike?
The activist Sonam Wangchuk is doing an infinite hunger strike to demand the resignation of Dharmendra Pradhan, the Union Education Minister of India. He started his fast while supporting the youth-led protest against the numerous exam paper leaks like NEET-UG and also other national exam paper leaks.
Khushi Patel is a Senior Sub Editor at NewsX, covering automotive, technology, Lifestyle, entertainment, and mainstream news. She previously worked as a Copy Editor at Times Network and has written automotive editorial content, including comparison pieces, for TimesDrive.
