What term describes not eating food or eating very little food for a period of time?

The term that describes not eating food or eating very little food for a period of time is fasting. Fasting is typically a voluntary practice that can last for various lengths of time and may be done for religious, health, or personal reasons. During fasting, an individual refrains from consuming food, though some may still allow for the intake of liquids, such as water.

Other terms such as dieting generally refer to a long-term eating plan that focuses not on abstaining from food altogether but rather on controlling or modifying what one eats to achieve specific health goals, such as weight loss or improved nutrition. Malnutrition, on the other hand, refers to a state of poor nutrition that can result from either undernutrition (not getting enough nutrients) or overnutrition (getting too many nutrients), and does not inherently imply a voluntary restriction on food intake. Starvation describes a severe deficiency in caloric intake, where the body's nutritional and energy needs are not being met for an extended period, often resulting from a lack of food availability rather than choice.

So, fasting specifically captures the essence of intentionally refraining from food intake for a duration, which makes it the correct choice in this context.