I resisted getting back into this thread- I even deleted one message I entered, because of the seemingly-religious ferver it stirs up, but...

I won't try to press on issue of food for short-term survival, but I can tell you for sure that the "fear of fasting" (however institutionalized it seems to have become) is pretty much ridiculous. I've fasted for up to 7 days (a little longer, actually), once or twice for 5, and several times for 3 or 4 days. I know people who have gone for MUCH longer without any apparent ill effects.

Do you seriously think that humans are the only animal on the planet that has somehow evolved to the point where they keel over dead if not fed each and every day of their lives? Sorry, that's just nonsense. Probably starting with your grandparents back, your ancestors missed a whole lot of meals, and more than a few generations back probably took periods of hunger for granted, going back for millions of years. Your body is not fundamentally different from theirs. From an evolutionary (or statistical) standpoint, you're probably at much more risk from NEVER missing any meals than from fasting. It's remotely possible you will die or suffer injury from exercise, too... it's just more likely you will suffer from the lack of it.

Most of the effects of fasting, in fact, are beneficial... up to a point, of course... but that point is MUCH further out than most people think. Most, and just possibly all, of the negative effects of missing a few meals are imagined, pure and simple.

I'm not trying to win people over, even though it just seems like common sense to me, but, IMHO, implying that people are in danger of health problems or death from missing a few meals, or even a few days' meals, is just silly, and a bit irresponsible. No wonder folks think they're dying if they go 12 hours without being fed.

For those at all interested, and not really terrified of slight discomfort, I recommend trying it for youself. It IS a survival skill. Like knowing you won't die if you spend a night outdoors, knowing you won't die from not eating for a couple of days is inherently empowering. Once you've done it a couple of times, the fear of a little hunger just seems... silly. EXACTLY like the fear of sleeping outdoors once you've been camping a few times.

Disclaimers: I am not a doctor- I'm sure you can find one to back any position you care to take on the issue if you try. It might be relevant that I also eat no sweets, at all, period... and am also very skeptical of the "survival" value of glorified candy bars, whatever they call themselves. Fasting is NOT a good way to lose weight, and in fact can sabotage some other efforts in that direction. Addiction to other substances- such as caffiene (and, IMHO, sugar), can cause real withdrawal symptoms that are easily confused with the effects of doing without food. Your mileage may vary. Consult a qualified astrologer before adopting any diet. Three out of five traditional shamans surveyed on the island of Tonga disagreed with my position, and said that a person will die in a few days without beetle nuts.

Make up your own minds, but don't let someone who's never tried it scare you with their own imagined hobgoblins.