Tag: Famine

In a landmark 1944 study involving 36 healthy men, one big finding from the Ancel Keys Minnesota Hunger Experiment was that semi-starvation causes severe psychological and behavioral changes, including depression and intense food obsession. The study revealed that these mental impacts were just as debilitating as the physical ones. The research, originally conducted to aid post-war famine relief, became a cornerstone for understanding the interconnectedness of physical and mental health.

As of recent reports, several countries are facing severe food crises, with Sudan and the Gaza Strip being identified as having confirmed famine conditions in 2025. Conflict, economic shocks, and climate extremes are the primary drivers exacerbating the global issue of food insecurity.

In 2024, approximately 2.3 billion people faced moderate or severe food insecurity, highlighting the fragility of global food systems. But what would happen if there is no food at all, not just for some, but for everyone, forcing humanity and all life to confront the ultimate survival crisis?

According to the World Food Programme, over 295 million people in 53 countries experienced acute food insecurity in 2024 alone. A widespread food crisis is not a single event but a complex spectrum of severe conditions, and the terminology used to describe it ranges from food insecurity to the specific, technical classification of famine.

According to the World Food Programme (WFP), over 65% of the 343 million people facing acute hunger globally reside in fragile or conflict-affected states. Armed conflict disrupts every stage of the food production system, from planting and harvesting to storage and distribution, establishing a clear link between conflict and global hunger.

Ghrelin, often called the “hunger hormone,” is just one of many signals and concepts behind our drive to eat. The answer to "What is hunger also known as?" is complex, encompassing everything from biological processes to psychological states and societal conditions.

According to the World Health Organization, hunger is the single gravest threat to the world's public health, contributing to more than half of all child mortality cases. When food scarcity becomes extreme and widespread, leading to mass death, it is formally known as a famine. However, several other critical terms and conditions describe the different stages and types of severe food deprivation that lead to such a catastrophic state.

According to the World Food Programme, more than 45 million people across 43 countries were on the brink of famine in 2021, and the situation remains critical today. A food shortage is not a single, simple concept; rather, it encompasses a range of humanitarian crises, with the most severe being a famine.

According to the World Health Organization, roughly 45% of deaths among children under five years of age are linked to undernutrition, a major aspect of what is lack of food called. This issue encompasses a spectrum of conditions, from the individual experience of hunger to the severe public health crisis of famine.

In 2024, the UN reported that over 295 million people were experiencing acute hunger, a crisis that, at its most extreme stage, is classified as a famine—the specific and official term for what you call a severe food shortage. However, not every food shortage is a famine; distinguishing between the different levels is critical for effective humanitarian response.