Hunger strike

What is a Hunger Strike?
A hunger strike is a very serious and highly dangerous protest tactic in which a person simply refuses to eat in an effort to gain attention for their cause or issue. HUNGER STRIKES CAN RESULT IN DEATH, therefore, hunger strikes should only be resorted to as a last resort or in very dire emergency situations.

Some Guidelines for Hunger Strikes

 * Drink lots of water-- a healthy adult can survive without food for nearly two months, but humans can DIE IN A MATTER OF DAYS without water.
 * Consume fruit juices and soup broths-- depending on how extreme you want to take your hunger strike you may want to consider drinking fruit juices and soup broth to provide your body with with a modicum of sugars, fats, and basic nutrients.
 * Consume dietary supplements-- again, depending on how extreme you want to take your hunger strike, you may want to consider taking vitamin and mineral supplements daily to provide your body with basic nutrients.
 * Find or make a comfortable spot to conduct your hunger strike and remain there-- it is crucial that you conserve as much energy as you can during a hunger strike. Therefore, you should make a comfortable spot to rest and avoid any physical activity beyond standing temporally and walking short distances.
 * Keep warm in the cold and keep cool in the heat-- by engaging in a hunger strike you will be subjecting your body to incredible abuse and severely weakening your body's natural ability to protect itself against the elements. Because of this it is extremely important that you have the proper clothing and protection appropriate to the weather situation in your area. You will be much more susceptible to hypothermia or heat stroke, take care.

Health Effects of Hunger Strikes
Depending on the length of a hunger strike a person can do severe, in some cases irreparable, damage to their body. The following is a short list of the serious health risks involved in carrying a hunger strike beyond 2-3 weeks -- this info assumes that you are engaging in a water-only hunger strike and you are basically healthy when you begin your hunger strike, also some of these effects are not permanent:


 * Damage to muscle tissue (after approximately 4 weeks)
 * Weakening of bones (after approximately 4 weeks)
 * Hallucinations / Dementia (after approximately 3 weeks)
 * Potentially permanent brain damage (after approximately 4 to 5 weeks)
 * Potentially permanent damage to internal organs (after approximately 4 to 5 weeks)
 * Potential failure of internal organs (after approximately 4 to 5 weeks)
 * Death (could happen at any time depending on the state of your health)