"I'm starving."

[Dreamliner]

Look, I get what you're saying. I'm not going to make a big to-do about it. I've probably said it recently. Still, wouldn't kill us to entertain a bit of perspective. We're starving because it's 1pm and we haven't had lunch. This little guy is starving because his mom and dad were killed in the civil war and he hasn't eaten in two weeks:

http://www.photographersdirect.com/buyers/stockphoto.asp?imageid=37862

[Emmitto]

Wow, Buzzkill. But I get it.

I was recently telling a guy how I lost 15 pounds or so with pretty painless eating changes and said something like "I kind of like the feeling of being hungry." Then he gave me a lecture about the perils of "starvation mode." I didn't really want to get into a big discussion so I just rolled with it. But I think that it was a good example of people's (mistaken) perceptions of hunger versus starvation.

[Dreamliner]

Wow, Buzzkill. But I get it.

I was recently telling a guy how I lost 15 pounds or so with pretty painless eating changes and said something like "I kind of like the feeling of being hungry." Then he gave me a lecture about the perils of "starvation mode." I didn't really want to get into a big discussion so I just rolled with it. But I think that it was a good example of people's (mistaken) perceptions of hunger versus starvation.

Fight the good fight, friend. If starvation mode really existed ... wouldn't the little guy be chubby ?

[Emmitto]

Fight the good fight, friend. If starvation mode really existed ... wouldn't the little guy be chubby ?

You can watch one season of Survivor and see it. Even if your body goes into survival mode with extreme hunger and performs some sort of weird metabolic flip-flop, I'm pretty sure you're safe on that fewer-calorie track. You're NOT starving.

[Dreamliner]

You can watch one season of Survivor and see it. Even if your body goes into survival mode with extreme hunger and performs some sort of weird metabolic flip-flop, I'm pretty sure you're safe on that fewer-calorie track. You're NOT starving.

Exactly. And of course the irony is that the manic preoccupation with getting enough food is what's unhealthy.

[ATL_Gator]

Meh. I have no problem with the use of "starving" to describe how hungry someone is.

I get what you are saying, but it's all about context. There are multiple definitions to "starve", and just because the meaning of one of the definitions (to perrish due to lack of nurrishment) is worse than another (to suffer from deprivation) doesn't invalidate the "easier" use of the word.

[Dreamliner]

Meh. I have no problem with the use of "starving" to describe how hungry someone is.

I get what you are saying, but it's all about context. There are multiple definitions to "starve", and just because the meaning of one of the definitions (to perrish due to lack of nurrishment) is worse than another (to suffer from deprivation) doesn't invalidate the "easier" use of the word.

I'm sure you meant the "mindless" use of the word.

[ATL_Gator]

We will just have to disagree.

I agree that we could show a ton more gratitude for what we have. But to say we shouldn't be using a word to describe how we are feeling because someone else can use the word in a far worse manner, and in a different context is just wrong.

I bet that kid is also...
sad
dealing with a loss of family
broke
etc.

I assume that we shouldn't use any of those adjectives either?

EDIT.. you changed your post....

Still, employing it as more of an adjective to describe how hungry you are even though you didn't directly imply hungry is fine with me. I get that others can use it in a different context.

[dnigels]

What he said but spelled different!

[Emmitto]

My issue with the term "starvation" is more about the mentality of some aspiring to lose weight, not the moral implications--although I philosophically agree there too--I try to avoid using certain words like "rape" and "retarded", for example. But I still use words that are technically inappropriate, say "killing." That last set of squats likely isn't about to end my life.

But back to the topic--when my buddy invoked "starvation" he was really rationalizing not eating significantly less. My story was about reducing calories by a considerable margin while having minimal impact on how hungry I am. He doesn't want to address his eating habits but still wants to lose weight. And now he has a phony rationale to keep eating the way that's preventing him from losing weight. Until he stops choosing to believe silly things like eating less equates to starving, I don't think he'll achieve his stated goals.

And perhaps he truly believes that he'd be starving. But he wouldn't be. So just for the sake of effectiveness, he should use the word appropriately. It might make him more socially aware too, who knows. I'm not a stickler on the proper use of every word. I'm known to be quite lax with wording myself. In this case I truly think it would benefit him and others who con themselves into believing something that just simply isn't.

[oI2ange]

Meh. I have no problem with the use of "starving" to describe how hungry someone is.

I get what you are saying, but it's all about context. There are multiple definitions to "starve", and just because the meaning of one of the definitions (to perrish due to lack of nurrishment) is worse than another (to suffer from deprivation) doesn't invalidate the "easier" use of the word.

Agreed. Nobody uses words in their literal meaning anymore.

[LeafUF]

What if I use literally before starving to emphasize my point? Or does that mean I am an even bigger exaggerator?

Because I am literally dying over here.

[Dreamliner]

We will just have to disagree.

I agree that we could show a ton more gratitude for what we have. But to say we shouldn't be using a word to describe how we are feeling because someone else can use the word in a far worse manner, and in a different context is just wrong.

I bet that kid is also...
sad
dealing with a loss of family
broke
etc.

I assume that we shouldn't use any of those adjectives either?

EDIT.. you changed your post....

Still, employing it as more of an adjective to describe how hungry you are even though you didn't directly imply hungry is fine with me. I get that others can use it in a different context.

Americans may well be sad like he is, broke like he is, dealing with loss as he is.

But they are manifestly not starving like he is.

Nonetheless, if we insist on appropriating the term ... then "gluttony" is also fair play.

[holloffamer]

I like how you've stated your opinion. And I agree.

Americans may well be sad like he is, broke like he is, dealing with loss as he is.

But they are manifestly not starving like he is.

Nonetheless, if we insist on appropriating the term ... then "gluttony" is also fair play.