Cannibalism has occasionally been practiced as a last resort by people suffering from famine , even in modern times . Famous examples include the ill-fated Donner Party ( 1846 – 47 ) and , more recently , the crash of Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 ( 1972 ) , after which some survivors ate the bodies of dead passengers . Additionally , there are cases of people suffering from mental illness engaging in cannibalism for sexual pleasure , such as Jeffrey Dahmer and Albert Fish . There is resistance to formally labeling cannibalism a mental disorder
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571
Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571
Human cannibalism