If you had to choose between being warm and eating food, what would you do?
@beautyqueen26 (16030)
United States
December 4, 2007 3:46am CST
Assume for a minute that you were on a limited budget and only had enough money to run your heaters full time during winter or buy food. What would you do? Forfeit your warmth for the sake of food? Forsake nourishment in search of warmth?
If I had to choose, then I'd say that I would want to have food. If I were on a limited income, then I'd probably shut off my heaters and buy food. Even if I had to be cold, I'd still want to eat. I could always put on a sweater or add more blankets.
Of course, most times, when I'm really cold, I get the flu or some terrible bronchial illness. So, maybe it would be better for me to go without food for awhile, if it meant that I got to be warm. I don't eat much food daily anyway. So, I can't see how it would be any different.
What do you think? If you had to choose between being warm and eating, which one would you pick? Do you think it's better to be well fed and miserably cold or hungry, but warm?
9 people like this
20 responses
@GardenGerty (160721)
• United States
4 Dec 07
I would choose food over heat, but I would look for warming, inexpensive foods like soup. I would use the heat sparingly, mostly at night. In the day time I would go to public places that I know are heated, like libraries, and stores. I know of people who spend a lot of time in the library in the summer because it is cool, and in the winter because of the warmth. Other places are stores, the Senior Center, if you are old enough, and convenience stores with seats. As you said, you can add a sweater. Or more layers. If you do not eat it is even harder to stay warm.
3 people like this
@fanji008 (775)
• China
4 Dec 07
Hi,see you again:) Well,if I have to choose,I think I'll choose the food.Because that's the way we can make our life last.We need food to keep the body work.It's easier to overcome coldness than hunger.Actually when we have food and then the fat burns which also provide the heat for our body,right? So I think I'll choose to eat:) Thanks for the discussion and all the best for the day^_^
@brimia (6581)
• United States
4 Dec 07
I hate being cold but I hate being hungry even more. I love food and would just buy lots of inexpensive yet healthy foods like beans and rice. I would pile on the blankets and warm clothes and spend lots of time at heated places like the library.
@lightningMD (5931)
• United States
4 Dec 07
If I truly had to choose one or the other I'd chose to be warm. Then the kids would be warm at home and able to eat at school. With the free lunch and breakfast programs. We are on a tight budget right now. We just had our heat turned on last week. We eat a lot of pasta and rice based dishes to stretch the food budget and we keep the thermostat between 62 and 65 during the day and 55 at night. We put plastic on the windows and extra blankets on the bed. We wear sweaters and warm socks in the house. I also put throw blankets for everyone on the couch to snuggle with while watching tv. We haven't gotten our first months bill yet,but I'm hoping not to go over 50.00 a month in gas service. If it's higher we will dial down farther.
2 people like this
@moneyandgc (3428)
• United States
4 Dec 07
I hope that I am never in the position to really have to choose between the two. I hate to be cold. I am a summer, warm weather type of girl. I hate being hungry even more though! I get downright grumpy if I haven't eaten in awhile. My blood sugar drops and it gets bad. My dad is the same way.
I would choose food over heat. Like you said, you could wear more clothes and pile on blankets. As long as I had a roof over my head, I would make do without the heat.
@xreesex (114)
• United States
4 Dec 07
I would pick being fed. You can always put on more clothes and more blankets. You can get warm by the oven. You can seal up your windows and doors. There's a lot you can do to prevent being cold. What would you do for a whole winter without food? Um, obviously you'd die. Plus, there's tons of foods and drinks that can help you warm up. And if you're lucky enough to have someone to share a bed with, you won't be cold for long. Get your mind out of the gutter! Body heat warms things up fast, and I don't mean sexually. My husband is always warm and I am always cold, but the heat of both of our bodies in the bed really helps me stay warm
@Thoroughrob (11742)
• United States
6 Dec 07
I think I would choose to eat, and try to really bundle up. Although not having heat could cause alot of problems also. It would really be a hard decision.
@sacmom (14192)
• United States
5 Dec 07
That is a tough one as I love to be warm and well nourished. But if I could only choose one, I'd have to pick food. I can find other ways of staying warm, like bundling up or cuddling with to my husband. However, I'd go crazy without being able to eat! I would never want to starve myself just so I could have a little heat. It just wouldn't be worth it to me.
@fredgame (1260)
• China
5 Dec 07
we eat to live" so i'd choose food for you've mentioned it earlier one can have an alternative way of avoiding the excess cold by putting on more clothes while there's no other alternative of feeding oneself if there's no food.
the two issues are of both importance though....the only economical way is to cut down the quantity of food and get some heating which may as well affect one's health and strength. i'll definitely go for food and forgo the heating, that's my opportunity cost.
@williamjisir (22819)
• China
9 Dec 07
Hello beauty queen. If I had to choose between the two, I think that I would choose to have enough food to eat, without which life is definitely unable to go on. We have a saying that goes like this: so long as you are alive, there is nothing that you cannot achieve.
When we have enough food to sustain our life, we will be able to gain enough energy and fat from the food that will help us to stay warm. So there is no second thought for me not to choose food. hehe. Thanks for your nice discussion, my dear friend.
@3lilangels (4639)
• United States
4 Dec 07
tough question but i would go with being warm instead of food.i hate being so cold even though i can put extra blankets and stuff on me but i hate to be covered up in so much things,so i rather have the heat on so i could just wear my normal clothes by themselves.
@laurika (4532)
• United States
4 Dec 07
I think i would probably choose the same liek yoi, the food. For me it is better to be cold but have soemthing to eat. How you just said you can still put on more blankets and more sweaters, or also move around, make the hot tea, took the hot bath, there are plenty options, but I am not sure how we can substitue the food, if you really don't have one?I think i would be really not feeling good without food.
@angel1118 (21)
• China
5 Dec 07
I would like to choose food first, we can think nobody can feel well if he keep hungry, right? We have four seasons ,spring, summer, autumn, winter. so no matter how cold it is ,we can suffer it by wearing more cloth or doing exercise ceaselessly to become wormer and wormer. Although you are in a warm house, your stomach is struggling with you, i think it will make you crazily! At that time, maybe you will feel regret of what you had choose. Well! it is only my choose and reason, different people have their unique ideas, but i believe either one you choose must obtain your fully reason.
@soumyaanand (3)
• India
5 Dec 07
i 2 agree wit u...........i would also prefer 2 hav food rather than keeping heaters...........
@stellarjade (1238)
• United States
5 Dec 07
That is a tough one. You can only go so long without food. But if needed, you can always manage to stay warm. I would probably buy the food, not heat. I think food is more important.
@DuoMaxwell (953)
• United States
5 Dec 07
Such a worst-case scenario when you're broke or poor.
Let's take a look at both sides:
Well if you have money, you can get some chicken soup for keeping warm if you can't afford heating. If you can't afford heating, then it'll be much harder to cook your food. It'll be like being in the dark ages again. If you can't eat warm foods, eat snacks that doesn't require warmth like popcorn, and those that don't create extra cold when eating them like popsicles.
But on the other side, human beings can survive without food for a few days, but at least you won't die from frostbite or hypothermia.
Any way you look at it, it's a harsh way of surviving without eating food or keeping warm without money.
@arkaf61 (10881)
• Canada
5 Dec 07
It's a hard choice, but I think I would go with food as well, worst came to worst I could always make a nice fire in the middle of the kitchen inside my biggest pot LOL
No, really I would set up a nice nest in the warmest place in the house with blankets and whatever I could find to keep warm. If things got too bad I could always go out to and get in a store or something to be warm for at least some time.
If I was able to warm water or get hot water somehow I would fill up as much hot water bottles as I could to keep my nest warm.
I don't know even thinking about getting sick, I would be more likely to be sick if I was weak for not eating.
@larskie23 (866)
• Philippines
5 Dec 07
this wouldnt happen in my place, i live in a tropical country and its hot here, so ill go with the food. its good, that this dont happen to us, but sometimes, when too hot, we had to open some aircon in order to keep cool.
@cash4me3383 (5)
• United States
5 Dec 07
Wow, what a tough question. I would have to go with staying warm over eating. Maybe because I am a BBW, and absolutely hate being cold. I can not think straight if I am cold. And the whole food thing, well I can train myself to not eat in order to survive!
