What Happens If You Don't Eat While Having a Fever? The Truth You Should Know

Appetite Loss and Fever: Why You Might Not Feel Like Eating

When you’re running a fever, your body’s in full battle mode. It’s fighting off viruses, bacteria, or whatever intruder decided to crash the party.
Naturally, your body shifts energy toward the immune response — and yeah, that can mess with your appetite.

Your brain literally tells you “no food, thanks”

There’s a part of your brain (the hypothalamus) that manages body temperature and hunger. So when your temp rises, hunger can drop.

Ever been sick and stared at your favorite food like it was cardboard? That’s your body doing triage — prioritizing survival over pleasure.

Nausea and fatigue don’t help

Fever often comes with nausea, body aches, and general “ugh, don’t even look at me” vibes. So the thought of eating can be... gross.

What Happens If You Don’t Eat While You Have a Fever?

Skipping a meal or two? Not the end of the world.
But extended fasting during illness — especially with a high fever — can slow your recovery or make you feel worse.

Decreased energy = slower healing

Your immune system is hungry. It needs fuel to:

• Build white blood cells

• Repair tissue

• Fight off infections

If you don’t eat, your body starts using stored glycogen, then fat, and eventually may tap into muscle tissue for energy. Not great when you’re already weak.

Risk of dehydration increases

Food provides not only calories but also fluids and electrolytes. When you skip meals, especially solid foods like fruits or soups, you miss a key source of hydration — and fever already dehydrates you fast.

Oh, and if you’re sweating buckets or have diarrhea too? You’re losing way more than you think.

Potential for dizziness, fatigue, and brain fog

Low blood sugar during a fever can make you feel:

• Lightheaded

• Extra weak

• Mentally foggy or irritable (hangry × 10)

True story: I once had the flu, refused to eat anything for a day, and ended up fainting in the shower. Not my proudest moment.

How Long Can You Go Without Eating When Sick?

24 hours? Usually okay

Your body can survive short-term fasting without major consequences. One day of minimal food is not dangerous for most healthy people.

2–3+ days? That's risky

If you're still feverish and barely eating for several days, you risk:

• Nutrient deficiencies

• Muscle loss

• Delayed recovery

Elderly people, kids, or those with chronic illnesses are especially vulnerable. For them, not eating while feverish can turn dangerous quickly.

What Should You Eat When You Have a Fever?

Easy on the stomach, high in benefits

If eating feels like a chore, small, frequent, nutrient-rich meals are the way to go. Some solid options:

• Broth-based soups (chicken soup is famous for a reason)

• Toast or crackers

• Applesauce or mashed banana

• Rice or oatmeal

• Smoothies with fruit and yogurt (cold can soothe a sore throat too)

Basically, aim for hydrating, gentle, and easy-to-digest.

Fluids are non-negotiable

If you can’t eat much, at least drink:

• Water

• Electrolyte drinks

• Herbal teas

• Coconut water

Even ice chips are better than nothing.

No appetite? Try sipping on warm broth — it counts as food and liquid, and it’s surprisingly comforting when you feel like a melted sock.

Final Thoughts: Don’t Starve a Fever

So, what happens if you don’t eat while having a fever?

• Your energy drops

• Recovery slows down

• You may feel weaker, dizzier, and more miserable overall

While it's normal to eat less when you’re sick, completely skipping food for extended periods is not a good idea.
Fuel your body — even just a little — so it can do what it does best: fight off whatever’s messing with you.

And hey, once the fever breaks, that appetite usually roars back. So keep some soup warm and a banana on standby. Your body will thank you.

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How Tall Should a 12 Year Old Be? We can only speak to national average heights here in North America, whereby, a 12 year old girl would be between 137 cm to 162 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/3 feet). A 12 year old boy should be between 137 cm to 160 cm tall (4-1/2 to 5-1/4 feet).

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Most girls stop growing taller by age 14 or 15. However, after their early teenage growth spurt, boys continue gaining height at a gradual pace until around 18. Note that some kids will stop growing earlier and others may keep growing a year or two more.

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Even with a healthy diet, most people's height won't increase after age 18 to 20. The graph below shows the rate of growth from birth to age 20. As you can see, the growth lines fall to zero between ages 18 and 20 ( 7 , 8 ). The reason why your height stops increasing is your bones, specifically your growth plates.