Fasting

=== Medical application ===
{{See also|Preoperative fasting|Body cleansing|Nothing by mouth}}
Fasting is almost always practiced prior to surgery or other procedures that require [[general anesthesia]] because of the risk of [[pulmonary aspiration]] of gastric contents after induction of anesthesia (i.e., vomiting and inhaling the vomit, causing life-threatening [[aspiration pneumonia]]).<ref>{{Cite web |url=https://abcnews.go.com/Health/WomensHealth/story?id=7161746&page=1 |title=Do You Need to Starve Before Surgery?  |date=25 March 2009 |publisher=Abcnews.go.com |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110208095908/https://abcnews.go.com/Health/WomensHealth/story?id=7161746&page=1 |archive-date=8 February 2011 |access-date=18 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/health/minutes/stories/2004/06/17/1137544.htm |title=Fasting before surgery – Health & Wellbeing |last=Norman |first=Dr |date=17 April 2003 |publisher=Abc.net.au |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100529211055/http://www.abc.net.au/health/minutes/stories/2004/06/17/1137544.htm |archive-date=29 May 2010 |access-date=18 October 2010}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.yestheyrefake.net/anesthesia_full.htm |title=Anesthesia Information (full edition) &#124; From Yes They're Fake! |date=1 January 1994 |publisher=Yestheyrefake.net |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101112015650/http://www.yestheyrefake.net/anesthesia_full.htm |archive-date=12 November 2010 |access-date=18 October 2010}}</ref> Additionally, certain medical tests, such as [[cholesterol]] testing ([[lipid panel]]) or certain [[blood glucose]] measurements require fasting for several hours so that a [[baseline (medicine)|baseline]] can be established.