'Hibernating' man survives for 3 weeks

[Taro Toporific]

'Hibernating' man survives for 3 weeks
...An expert from the British Dietetic Association said that while it was possible for a person to go without food for a long time, lack of adequate fluid would rapidly lead to dehydration.
"I find it quite incredible that [Mr Uchikoshi] had no fluid at all," Dr Frankie Phillips said. "Physiologically that isn't possible." ...

The old thing is I'm not hearing this story getting big play on TV and radio here in Japan. A simple answer is that "physiologically it isn't possible" and Mr Uchikoshi was out an 3-week drunk and woke up after passing out in a snowdrift.

[Taro Toporific]

The old thing is I'm not hearing this story getting big play on TV and radio here in Japan...

Ok, I just heard on NTV 11pm news that the 'Hibernating' man survived by slowly "licking" from a large bottle of BBQ sauce (yaki-niku tare).

[Socratesabroad]

Ok, I just heard on NTV 11pm news that the 'Hibernating' man survived by slowly "licking" from a large bottle of BBQ sauce (yaki-niku tare).

Nah, I think you were right the first time.

How long can someone survive without water?
Kate Ravilious
Saturday December 3, 2005
Guardian

"People can last a few days without water depending on the environment in which they find themselves and whether [they are] injured or not," says Jeremy Powell-Tuck, professor of clinical nutrition at Barts and the London Queen Mary school of medicine...

Someone sitting quietly under a shady tree will be better off than an explorer caught out in the middle of a blazing desert, but nonetheless they won't be able to survive six months without a sip of water.

"Without water anyone will run into problems pretty quickly. Their blood volume will shrink and their water and electrolyte balance will be upset. Eventually the body will just go into shock," says Professor Stipanuk.

Similarly, according to
Standard First Aid and Personal Care from the American Red Cross:

Priorities of Body Survival
You can live for approximately 3 minutes without air]3 days without water;[/b] 3 weeks without food

Water: An absolute necessity for life processes; you can die in less than 3 days from dehydration. (TM p 29)

Your body is 80% water; a loss of water equal to 7% of your body’s total weight can cause dehydration and will be a serious threat to all normal chemical body functions.

Remember: Nothing should be eaten if water is not available. Eating uses up the body's water reserve.