Who, What, Why: How long can someone survive without food?

[dipsydoodle]

A Swedish man, found in a car buried under snow, says he survived for two months without food by eating handfuls of snow. But how long can people go without food?

The circumstances surrounding Peter Skyllberg's survival are still being investigated. However, photographs taken of the inside of the car show empty food and drink wrappers, which could mean the 44-year-old had some sustenance.

The car was found on Friday at the end of a forest track more than 1km (0.6 miles) from a main road in northern Sweden. Police say the temperature in the area had recently dropped to -30C (-22F).

Skyllberg says he had been inside the car since 19 December 2011.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-17095605

[PADemD]

1. At least a month

[Journeyman]

2. Bobby Sands lived 66 days without food in Long Kesh, Northern Ireland, in 1981. . .

[zipplewrath]

3. Depends upon everything

How much stored fat, access to water, general state of health, etc. Sticking with the car was probably what saved his life. I'd be surprised to if he had more than 2 days of any kind of food with him too.

[truedelphi]

4. I figure it the same way.

I remember a friend of Anne Frank's family survived the concentration camps because of his excess body fat.

And if you are lost in the wilderness, inside your car, I imagine having some extra fat helps a lot.

Anyway I imagine that for this survivor, he could care less if people believed him - what he's glad about right now is that he survived.

[supernova]

5. He had water

in the form of snow, that was the most important thing.

You can survive for quite a while w/o food, but you won't last much beyond about three or four days give or take without water.

OTOH, didn't anyone report him missing?

[ellisonz]

6. Strange story.

Kinda sounds like he was homeless or something...

[dipsydoodle]

7. Was all very well them quoting the outside air temperature

but as far as I'm aware buried under snow the temperature would in fact be 32f. In the absense of being reported missing I guess you may be right in your assumption.