Hope it draws plenty of attention to the plight of lab animals and exposes the sick vivisectors for what they are.

With respect due for the determination to control yourself :

Is there a point during starvation where the body suffers permanent damage?
Will people whom care nothing about authorising the systematic, industrial, torture and abuse of mammals be concerned by another mammal refusing to eat ( unless the hunger striker is their significant other )?
Do hunger strikes make the striker stronger, or demonstrate angry resort to harming the functional existence of the individual (at least the body) which was in the care of the striker?

Would a determined adherence to a healthy diet, and perhaps a focused fitness and meditation regime better enable the enlightenment of influential litigators... or even the enlightenment of individuals whom are currently deciding between contribution to animal oppression or to liberation?

Recognise the opponent.

When Barry Horne was on hunger strike it ignited a wake of activism unlike anything seen in the AR movement. While this is somewhat different, one can only hope a similar response will happen.

I don't know if this the right place but ...

I've just given up eating mammals. Thx to all.

Still eating birds and fish tho. Full moon me rekons!

Have been doing some research on history of hunger-strikes. The effectiveness of this tactic seems to depend mostly on 2 things: the existence of a shame culture in whatever community it takes place and the visability of the action. So in some countries, hunger-strikes would take place on the actual doorstep of the wrong-doer so that the offender had to see the hunger-striker every day. The existence of shame means that the rest of the community would become aware of the wrong-doers behaviour/crime and pressurise that person to change their behaviour. recompense the hunger-striker, make ammennds etc.
The effectiveness of hunger-strikes today is greatly reduced. We don't tend to live in close communities where our safety and survival depend on us getting along with our neighbour, so we don't care how they see us. The shame factor is much smaller. As for visibility, it's very hard to camp out on someone's doorstep these days, before plod gets involved and injunctions are issued. You can go die quietly in some back alley instead, is the attitude.

It's got to be a personal decision but I don't think it's an effective tactic in a 2011 society and we have to adjust to the changes in society if we want to be effective and not merely symbolic.

It's a stupid tactic, with very little history of success, which makes the AR movement look like a load of pseudo-religious cranks. This young lad obviously means well, but he'll either starve to death, wasting his life, or he'll capitulate and de-value a desperate tactic which ought to be reserved for more appropriate situations. I knew Barry Horne and was privvy to his thinking in the last 2 years of his life, I doubt many others can say that.

I have been informed this is not a Hunger Strike, just a fast. The wording in the press release was wrong, it is to last a few days no more.