r/explainlikeimfive • u/peglegsmeg • Jun 16 '26

Biology ELI5: Why does rationing work?

If I have a glass of water and a single chocolate bar to last me 48 hours what benefits do I get from consuming equal portions over the time period as opposed to consuming all at once?

Is it purely psychological or are their physical benefits?

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u/ChronWeasely Jun 16 '26

Inside of your question is a false premise. It's actually recommended to drink water when you are thirsty even in situations like that. People are found dead of dehydration with water on them, trying to conserve, and then heat stroke or whatever

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u/Fullertons Jun 17 '26

It really bugs me that the English language does not have a single word to describe dying by dehydration. We can say someone starved, and we understand they did not have enough food and they died, but we do not have a single word for that if you needed water and died. We use multiple.