If someone goes on a water fast for 40 days about how much weight will they lose.?

Following is a snip (full article is available at slate.com) of a hunger striker. Despondent over the injuries he allegedly caused his stepdaughter while setting his estranged wife's house ablaze, Charles Robert McNabb is on a hunger strike at the Spokane County Jail. He has lasted 123 days so far, subsisting on water and the occasional cup of coffee. How long can a hunger striker expect to survive? Sixty days, give or take, is the rule of thumb, though results vary depending on the faster's body fat and striking strategy. Physiologists generally agree that no human being can survive losing more than 40 percent of his body mass—a threshold that McNabb, stunningly, may already have crossed, if reports of his starting (180 pounds to 185 pounds) and current (around 100 pounds) weights are to be believed. Fasting becomes dangerous after just three to five days, at which point the body begins breaking down fat in order to produce energy. When the liver is reduced to breaking down fat (in lieu of the usual glucose), it produces ketone bodies, a toxic byproduct. These can be excreted through the urine, and a particular variety known as acetone can be expelled through the lungs. (Acetone makes a person's breath smell like pears.) Ketone bodies can also be oxidized by the brain in order to make the fuel it needs. But when ketone bodies become too numerous in the bloodstream, they can cause ketoacidosis, a potentially lethal condition that afflicts some diabetics. It's all downhill after Week 3, or whenever weight loss exceeds 18 percent of the starting weight. The body tries to compensate by slowing down its metabolism, entering "starvation mode." Still, once fat stores are entirely depleted, the body has no choice but to mine the muscles and vital organs for energy. The striker simply wastes away as his body, quite literally, consumes itself. The 60-day figure that is commonly quoted as the absolute limit assumes that the striker is a healthy adult with approximately 24 pounds of fat on his or her frame. Someone with a higher fat content might be able to last longer, since that person's body could delay turning to the vital organs for fuel. Gandhi, perhaps history's most famous hunger striker, never fasted for more than 21 days. The bottom line: to safely lose weight, it is best to drink a diet supplement, such as Ensure. There is a full (high calorie, high fat, high protein) version and a light version. I believe that Ensure Lite (or similar name) has about 260 calories. More importantly, it contains enough fat, protein, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to keep you healthy. Consuming three cans per day would be around 780 calories. IMPORTANT: No joke. Consult a physician before embarking on any diet this severe! Liver damage can occur if the body is deprived of food and nutrients long enough. Good luck.

ok i am sure a person wouln't really die because i know some people who drank onlt water for like 50-60 ays and they survived except they lost a lot of energy you'd probably lose about 20-30 pounds

Yo buttercup must you be so pretentious???

How much she would lose is dependent to how much she ways.

holy ****, buttercup. you're too pedantic and snobbish to give such crap advice. salads and water? wow, great idea. I'm sure you'll make a fine medic when it comes down to handling nutritional disorders. that because people don't need -carbohydrates -fats -proteins we coud all just live off of antioxidants! they even make pills for that. tell the person she can skip the salads too!

Only do it if you are in a hospital and under constant doctor's supervision. Very dangerous (comparable to you doing your own liposuction.)

Women need 9 cups (meaning measuring cups) of water a day. Most water is consumed in the foods we eat. However she needs to drink some water everyday! If she doesnt she can die, she can get severly dehydrated. Tell her to drink water and DO NOT copy her! Water has no calories or fat and our bodies need it! There is no reason to stop drinking water. If you want to lose weight eat less calories and drink PLENTY of water!

It actually wont matter how much your friend will loose as he or she will be DEAD by then..40 days without food is NOT possible.......bizarre people

I actually think you would gain weight instead of loose it.