How Much to Eat to Avoid Starvation Mode?

Overview

Starvation mode refers to the tendency of the human body to conserve energy stores in times when it is not receiving enough nutrients to fuel basic metabolic functions. The two primary changes that your body makes during times of starvation are slowing down your metabolism and conserving fat stored in adipose tissue. Instead of burning stored fat for energy during starvation mode, your body actually prefers the protein stored in your muscle tissue. The state of starvation should be avoided not only because slowing down your basal metabolic rate will make future weight loss and weight maintenance more difficult, but also because it isn't an effective way to rid yourself of stored fat.

Basic Cellular Function

The majority of the calories an average person burns each day comes from their basal metabolic rate, also known as resting metabolism. Endurance athletes are the exception to this rule because they burn many calories during training and competition. Your basal metabolic rate is the sum of calories that are used up carrying out cellular functions in your body, such as the creation of hormones, new blood cells and neurotransmitters.

Basal Metabolism Estimate

To obtain a precise calculation of your basal metabolism, you will need to make an appointment with a dietitian or other health professional offering indirect calorimetry. The indirect calorimeter measures the volume of air and oxygen you move in and out of your body for about 10 to 15 minutes to calculate the daily calories necessary to support your body at rest. These tests typically cost between $75 and $250. If you are not able to take advantage of an indirect calorimetry test, you can estimate your resting metabolism with a simple formula. For men, use [10 x (weight in kg)] + [6.25 x (height in cm)] - [5 x (age in years)] + 5. For women, use [10 x (weight in kg)] + [6.25 x ( height in cm)] - [5 x (age in years)] -- 161.

The Big Picture

Basal metabolism is only one part of your daily caloric needs. To get the whole picture, you need to estimate the number of calories your body uses each day from both resting metabolism and your daily activities and exercise. Each pound of weight that you lose requires a caloric shortfall of about 3,500 calories. Because doctors and dietitians recommend that you lose no more than 1 to 2 lbs. per week, it is important to make sure you do not have a caloric shortfall of more than 500 to 1,000 calories per day. Depending on how active you are, that could mean that even if you are eating enough calories to satisfy your basal metabolism, you might not be eating enough for healthy weight loss. Eating less than your total calorie use and more than your basal metabolic rate is the safest and most effective way to lose weight with minimal side effects.

Total Calorie Use

To estimate the number of calories you actually use each day, you will multiply your basal metabolism by an activity factor. Choose an activity factor that closely matches your actual lifestyle -- not the lifestyle to which you aspire. If you don't usually exercise and you have a job that involves mostly sitting down, multiply your basal metabolism by 1.2. If you engage in light exercise, gardening or sports one to three times each week, multiply by 1.375. If you engage in moderate exercise, gardening or sports three to five times each week, multiply by 1.55. If you are involved in hard exercise or sports six or seven days per week, multiply by 1.725. If you are extra active and do hard exercise or sports in addition to having a physically active job, multiply by 1.9. If you are somewhere in between two of the activity factors, you can multiply by a number that is in between.

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The Side Effects of Starvation

The Side Effects of Starvation

Starvation essentially means starving the body of vital nutrients it needs to function and survive. Starvation can be caused from outside sources beyond someone's control or it can be entirely self-inflicted. Any time the body is depleted of vital liquids and nutrients from food--there are several physical side effects that take place. These effects essentially happen because the body is trying to conserve energy for survival. There is a point when the symptoms can become irreversible and death can occur.

Weight Loss

One of the most obvious signs of malnutrition and starvation is a drastic appearance in someone's weight. For someone who is facing starvation they could possibly lose up to 2 lbs. per day. This is a very serious side effect and should be considered a medical emergency. Drastic weight loss can lead to organ failure and eventually death.

Dehydration

Dehydration occurs when there is a lack of fluid intake in the body. This means that the body is beginning to use fluids and water that is being stored in the body. One of the first organs affected will be the kidneys. They could begin to fail and stop working all together if urine output ceases. The skin will begin to lose its turgor and rigidity and appear to be stiff and very dry. Dehydration can also lead to irregular heart rhythms.

Electrolyte Imbalance

Electrolyte imbalances are a common side effect of starvation. Not only is fluid lost, vital nutrients going into the body are not available for fuel. Electrolytes also play a strong role in healthy heart function, muscle and nerve impulses and the flow of oxygen throughout the body. When electrolyte levels are severely disrupted, the body could even slip into a comatose state. Glucose is not being consumed so blood sugar levels can drop very quickly even when the slightest amount of insulin is being produced by the pancreas.

Muscle Atrophy

Severe muscle atrophy occurs in the very final stages of starvation. This is where the muscle disintegrates and decreases as the body literally begins to feed off of itself. It will use its own muscle mass to provide energy throughout the bloodstream to prevent organs from shutting down. Dangerously low potassium levels can also lead to muscle twitches and spasms. This also displays feelings of intense weakness and sometimes bouts of paralysis. As muscle breaks down, nerve cells degenerate especially in the spinal cord area where movement is regulated. When muscles are not strong enough to even function, someone may not be able to move freely or at all.

Hypotension

Hypotension is also referred to as low blood pressure. In starvation mode, the body can experience bouts of hypotension. This drops body temperature also. In some cases the blood pressure can get so low that it can cause shock--a potentially fatal condition in which the body begins shutting down in a last ditch effort for survival. Untreated hypotension will lead to coma or death.

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Causes of Starvation

Causes of Starvation

Numerous factors can cause starvation. According to the World Hunger website, hunger -- which is intimately associated with starvation, or the -- is the uneasy or painful sensation caused by food cravings, and develops due the prolonged scarcity of essential nutrients in a particular country or region. In some cases, a person can experience starvation even though plenty of food is nearby and available for consumption. In other cases, social, environmental and political factors can cause starvation.

Anorexia Nervosa

Certain eating disorders, especially anorexia nervosa, can lead to starvation. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC, a person with anorexia nervosa -- usually a teenage girl living in a developed country -- has an extreme fear of gaining weight, which causes her to maintain a weight that is at least 15 percent less than her normal body weight. A person with anorexia will do almost anything to avoid weight gain, including starving herself or engaging in exercise in an obsessive manner. Common signs and symptoms associated with anorexia nervosa include excessive weight loss, absent menstrual periods, thinning hair,dry skin, cold hands, swollen extremities, upset stomach, decreased blood pressure, fatigue, unusual heart rhythms and osteoporosis. The UMMC states that a person with anorexia nervosa will often engage in obsessive-compulsive behaviors, be in denial of her condition and suffer from depression.

Drought and Famine

Drought and famine can cause starvation in an entire geographic region. According to the United Nations University, or UNU, prolonged drought or lack of rainfall may be intimately associated with food shortages and famine. The National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, states that a drought is a period of unusually persistent dry weather that lasts long enough to cause sufficient crop damage or water supply shortages. The severity of a drought largely depends on the degree of moisture deficiency, the duration of the drought and the size of the geographic region affected. According to the NOAA, there are four different ways a drought can be described: meteorological, agricultural, hydrological and socioeconomic. All four aspects of drought can combine to cause crop failure, water shortages, famine and, in some cases -- especially in certain developing countries -- mass starvation.

Natural Disasters

Certain natural disasters can cause starvation in large groups of people. According to the United Nations World Food Program, or UNWFP, there are 925 million undernourished people in the world today. Among the most common causes of hunger and starvation are financial and economic crises, over-exploitation of the environment, poor agricultural infrastructure, poverty, conflict and natural disasters. Natural disasters that may cause food shortages and starvation include floods, tropical storms, tsunamis and earthquakes. The UNWFP reports that natural disasters can have calamitous consequences on food security, especially in poor, developing nations. In numerous countries, climate change -- an emerging threat to food security -- is making already adverse natural conditions worse, challenging farmers' ability to grow enough food to support themselves and feed their communities.

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Signs & Symptoms of Starvation Mode

Signs & Symptoms of Starvation Mode

Overview

A lack of food can cause the body to go into starvation mode, or starvation response, according to an article in the March 2006 edition of the journal "Annual Review of Physiology." Starvation mode is a metabolic response to the body being deprived of food, which may occur during periods of famine or economic depression, when using a fad diet, or when suffering from anorexia nervosa. A variety of specific signs and symptoms affect those whose body has gone into starvation mode.

Physiological Symptoms

Reducing calories to a very low level prevents the body from obtaining proper nutrients and energy, according to the "Annual Review of Physiology" article. As a result, fatigue is common because the body does not have ample energy to function. The body breaks down muscles to be used as fuel as it attempts to keep vital organs like the heart and lungs functioning. Vitamin deficiency is another result of a lack of nutrients, and can lead to anemia, diarrhea, rashes, edema and heart failure. Testosterone levels decrease during starvation mode, so sexual drive also decreases. The primary drive in a food-deprived body is to eat to regain energy and nutrition, not to reproduce. In women, irregular menstruation or a complete absence of a menstrual cycle may occur.

Depression and Anxiety

In a landmark study by Dr. Ancel Keys, published in the book "The Biology of Human Starvation", subjects who were place on a starvation diet experienced psychological changes. Depression was one such symptom. Dr. Keys found that those who ate the least calories were the most depressed. Anxiety is another psychological symptom of not consuming enough calories. Dr. Keys noted nervousness and impatience among the participants in the study. Some people even avoided eating because they were fearful of gaining weight.

Food Obsession

Food obsession is another symptom of starvation mode, as found in Dr. Keys' study. The deprived body focuses on food because it needs the energy and nutrients to survive. A person in starvation mode may spend much time talking about food, thinking about food and searching for food. In developed countries, people in starvation mode -- such as dieters or people with anorexia nevosa -- may also spend much time watching cooking shows, looking at recipes or shopping for food.

Weight Regain

According to study in the March 2001 issue of the "British Journal of Nutrition," a reduction in the intake of food leads to a reduced metabolic rate, or a decreased rate in burning calories. This decrease in metabolic rate increases as the person loses weight. Once a person begins to eat more, he often experiences increased appetite while his metabolic rate stays at a low level, according to a study conducted by Dr. Abdul Dulloo that was reported in the March 1997 issue of "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition." As a result, the person often regains all the lost weight and may even gain more weight than when the starvation started. The weight that is put on is mostly fat tissue, noted Dulloo.

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Damage to Body by Starvation

Damage to Body by Starvation

Overview

Starvation is an extreme form of malnutrition. If your body doesn't get the nutrients it needs, it won't be able to maintain itself, grow properly and fend off disease. If you don't eat, your body will deteriorate. First, your mental and physical performance will suffer. Eventually, your body's systems will begin to shut down to conserve energy.

Beginning Stages

The extent, type and timeline of damage you will experience depends on how much you currently weigh, whether you eat insufficient food or nothing at all, your age, medical condition and many other factors. Generally, during the beginning stages, you'll experience fatigue, dizziness, dry or scaly skin, and weakness. You'll also feel intense hunger. Your body is responding to the lack of food, which it needs for energy, by signaling your brain to do something about it.

Cognitive Function

Your mental performance will degenerate. Like every other part of your body, your brain needs nutrients and energy to function properly. Infants who starve might never develop proper brain function. People over the ages of 2 or 3 might experience temporary poor cognitive function, but recover once they receive nourishment. Your mood likely will change as you become preoccupied by thoughts of food. You also might feel anxious, irritable, angry, withdrawn and depressed.

Middle Stages

Your lack of nutrition might lead to gastrointestinal disturbances, feeling cold, hypersensitivity to noise or light, water retention and decreased libido. Your immune system won't be able to produce sufficient antibodies to fight infection, so you'll get sick more often. Your gums might swell and bleed. Your rate of metabolism will decrease as your body tries to conserve as much energy as possible. You will lose weight as your body depletes your fat stores, then begins to burn other tissues, such as muscle.

Final Stages

Eventually, your failure to get sufficient nutrients will lead to permanent damage. Your teeth will decay, and your bones will weaken due to insufficient calcium. Your hair will fall out. Your organs will begin to shut down due to the lack of energy and nutrients necessary for maintenance. Your heart muscles will weaken. The end result is complete system failure, or death.

Underdeveloped Countries

Starvation and malnutrition are an epidemic in some underdeveloped countries. Children experience the most damage because they need proper nutrition to develop properly. Even if they survive long periods of starvation, they might experience abnormal growth and other forms of permanent damage. For example, nearly all bone development happens before adulthood, so children who fail to get sufficient calcium in their diets are likely to experience osteoporosis or other bone composition problems later as adults.

Developed Countries

People with eating disorders sometimes use starvation techniques to lose weight. For example, bulimics force themselves to throw up after meals, which can result in malnutrition and starvation. People with anorexia avoid eating whenever possible. The specific effects of these conditions depend on the severity of the problem, but extreme cases can result in permanent damage -- such as low bone density, tooth decay or gastrointestinal problems -- and death.

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