Starvation Mortality

Reducing starvation benefits all mammals, but small mammals benefit much more than large mammals. Short-term starvation or extended fasting may be therapeutic, but it is not sustainable. During prolonged starvation, ketones may rise to about 5 mmol/L. The starvation term is based on adult fat and muscle stores and does not capture juvenile vulnerability. Starvation mortality is modeled as increasing when resources decline. Starvation effects decline with body mass because larger mammals carry proportionally more fat. In starvation, blood sugar remains near or slightly below normal because gluconeogenesis continues. Starvation remains regulated as long as functional insulin is present. Longer starvation causes health to deteriorate as nutrient stores are depleted.