How long can a healthy person survive without food?

The ability of a healthy person to survive without food can vary significantly based on several factors, including hydration, body fat, metabolism, and overall health, but a general consensus in medical literature suggests that a healthy individual can typically survive without food for an extended period, approximately 20 to 30 days.

During this time, the body will begin to use its stored fat for energy, and eventually muscle mass may be catabolized as well. Hydration plays a critical role; without water, survival is typically limited to just a few days. This crucial distinction suggests that while starvation can last for several weeks, the absence of water drastically shortens survival time. Thus, the timeframe of 20 to 30 days is considered a reasonable estimate for how long a healthy person might endure without food intake under the right conditions.

The other choices suggest shorter durations, which do not align with the broader understanding of human physiology and the body’s ability to sustain itself using stored energy. Consequently, the selected timeframe is both realistic and reflective of the physiological responses to prolonged food deprivation.