With starvation, what usually happens is parents freak out and do criminal acts so their kids don't starve. They can handle statrving themselves, but not witnessing hungry children. They will break the law to steal what little they can find.

Starving people in history panicked and did silly things like went out in winter trying anything to catch an animal or get many fish. But these activities require energy to think clearly (blood glucose) and ATP to energize muscles. So they probably fail or barely make up the work calories expended.

And what happened frequently were accidents and getting lost and dying of exposure. Nobody can go alone as they can in trouble, so both of them were using up calories and probably fail. Smart animals are hibernating.

This is why our ancestors had full pantries. They could get snowed in or lose their jobs or get sick and there was no welfare, just charity from churches.