Hunger strikers......

[Loosehead]

I've been reading about some hunger strikers and I just got to wondering whether the hunger pangs are continuous. I mean when I'm really hungry I have to find food and that's that. What I want to know is, is the hunger feeling continuous or is there a stage when the body just gives up the idea of trying to make you eat and gets on with starving as slowly as possible or are these hunger pangs continuously present? Anyone any experience of this?

[happy_face]

Well I haven't been on a hunger strike but have done fasting in the past. It's not a constant hunger and I'm sure most people will agree that if you're hungry and you're not able to get to some food eventually you'll stop feeling hungry. If then don't eat you can start feeling sick because you're hungry.

Hope this helps

[Octavius]

In children, chronic malnutrition is marked by growth retardation. Anemia is the first sign to appear in an adult. Swelling of the legs is next, due to a drop in the protein content of the blood. Loss of resistance to infection follows next, along with poor wound healing. There is also progressive weakness and difficulty swallowing, which may lead to inhaling food. At the same time, the signs of specific nutrient deficiencies may appear.

If the degree of malnutrition is severe, the intestines may not tolerate a fully balanced diet. They may, in fact, not be able to absorb adequate nutrition at all.

People can recover from severe degrees of starvation to a normal stature and function. Children may suffer from permanent mental retardation or growth defects if their deprivation was long and extreme.

In humans, prolonged starvation (in excess of 1-2 months) causes permanent organ damage and may eventually result in death.

During the Northern Ireland hunger strikes in 1981 the men survived without food for ten weeks on average, taking only water and salt.  Over the summer, ten hunger strikers died lasting between 46 and 73 days.

Death by starvation was a common form of torture in ancient -medieval times and was also reportedly used by the Nazi's during ww2.  I imagine it is a very slow painful death.

[nickymanley]

I know sometimes I can be SO hungry (especially in the mornings), so much so that I think I can't function if I don't get something to eat - however, usually I am running late so have to wait until I get to work to eat, by the time I have got there my incredible hunger pains have gone and I fine I can wait another hour before having breakfast - or sometimes skip it all together (not good I know!). Also (just an interesting fact!), apparently a huge number of "hunger" pains are actually because we are thirsty - always try and drink water when you get a hunger pain to see it is in fact a thirst pain!!

[PurplePixie]

As an ex-anorexic I can answer with a degree of authority on this one!!

The longest I've ever gone without food at all was 2 weeks & yes, the hunger pains do eventually go completely & the body seems to shut down & doesn't expect any food. At first you seem to go through the dizzy low blood sugar thing, and then as time goes on the body seems to adjust & you feel as if you don't need to ever eat again & get a weird sort of energy that takes you over. I definitely remember being very cold & my body was very shut down & my thinking was impaired.

Not a good state to be in, I don't  recommend it!!

[catmat]

I totally agree with PurplePixie. I have been through the same thing myself and s/he describes exactly how it felt for me. 

DO NOT go there.