So how many times in your life have you said 'I'm starving' when you're not, or let's cut to the chase 'I'm freezing' when you're not.
They're colloquialisms aren't they and we all use them just as the author of this article has.
And as far this poor lady's demise goes, if the body's core temperate drops below 35 deg C, hyperthermia will set in and it's a killer. In the lady's circumstances, death by hyperthermia is a very, very likely.
And just so you know that I know what I'm talking about. 10 years ago next month, my own mother died of exposure.