截至11月11日，美国两名宇航员已经在国际空间站滞留了超过150天，并至少将在那里待到2025年2月。

其中，随着太空滞留时间的延长，女宇航员苏尼塔·威廉姆斯的健康问题也引起热议。

NASA astronaut Sunita Williams is dealing with health issues following an extended mission on the International Space Station (ISS). Initially planned for eight days, Williams’ mission stretched into six months due to a malfunction with Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft.

近日，一张拍摄于9月24日的照片流出，引发了公众对宇航员健康的担忧，照片显示，威廉姆斯正在吃意大利辣香肠披萨和薯条，桌上摆满了调味品和其他零食。

在太空中，人体需要适应重力的变化，并在寒冷、恶劣的条件下保持体温，因此人体会燃烧掉更多的卡路里。另外，为了防止肌肉和骨骼流失，宇航员们每天还需要锻炼大约2.5个小时，这也会燃烧掉更多的卡路里。宇航局鼓励宇航员们在太空中每天摄入大约3500卡路里的食物，以防止身体衰弱。然而，即便威廉姆斯正在食用高热量的薯条和香肠披萨，她的热量摄入仍然不足。

来自美国西雅图的肺病专科医生维奈·古普塔评论称：“她（女宇航员苏尼塔·威廉姆斯）的脸颊看起来有点凹陷下去了，这通常是体重减轻后才会出现的状况。我认为，从她凹陷的脸颊可以看出，她可能已经严重缺乏（卡路里摄入）一段时间了。”

Recent images of Williams have caused concern among experts, showing signs of significant weight loss. In the latest photos, her cheeks appeared sunken, a sign of total body weight loss. The photos suggest calorie deficit, which is common in astronauts, as the demands of space often result in burning more calories than consumed.

While the two have put on a positive front in their public comments and interviews, a recent photo tells a different story, according to Dr Vinay Gupta, a pulmonologist and veteran in Seattle.

Dr Gupta told DailyMail.com: 'What you're seeing there in that picture is somebody that I think is experiencing the natural stresses of living at a very high altitude, even in a pressurized cabin, for extended periods.

'Her cheeks appear a bit sunken - and usually it happens when you've had sort of total body weight loss,' Dr Gupta added.

'I think what I can discern by her face and her cheeks being sunken in is that [she] has probably been at a significant [calorie] deficit for a while.'

但是NASA坚称，空间站内宇航员身体状况都没有问题：“国际空间站上的所有美国宇航员都在接受常规医疗评估，有专门的飞行外科医生在监控，他们的健康状况良好。”

研究表明，生活在太空会对人类健康造成损害，太空环境恶劣，宇航员会损失体脂、肌肉、骨密度，并承受高剂量的辐射，这可能引发一系列健康问题，甚至导致他们更容易受到感染。

In a microgravity environment, astronauts face numerous challenges, including muscle and bone loss, making long stays particularly difficult.

为了帮助威廉姆斯恢复体重，据报道，NASA将她的每日热量摄入量提高到了约5000卡路里——几乎是普通成年女性所需卡路里（1600到2400）的两倍。然而，由于食欲减退以及微重力环境下的胃肠变化，要达到这个目标并不容易。尽管存在这些困难，NASA的团队仍努力提供必要的营养支持，以稳定她的状况。

To reverse her weight loss, NASA has reportedly increased Williams’ caloric intake to around 5,000 calories per day—nearly double the intake needed by an average adult woman on Earth, who requires approximately 1,600 to 2,400 calories daily. However, achieving this target has proven challenging, as reduced appetite and gastrointestinal changes in microgravity can make eating large quantities difficult. Despite these difficulties, NASA’s team is working to provide the necessary nutritional support to stabilize her condition.

据新华社此前报道，美国宇航员威尔莫尔和威廉姆斯今年6月5日搭乘首次载人试飞的波音“星际客机”飞船发射升空，于次日飞抵国际空间站。飞船原定6月14日脱离国际空间站返回地球，但由于出现推进器故障和氦气泄漏等问题，返航时间一再推迟。两名宇航员至今已滞留国际空间站三个多月。

来源 | 21世纪英文报

制作｜绢生

审核｜肖英 / 万顷

终审｜清欢