NASA doctors are trying to help stranded astronaut Sunita Williams lose weight after she suffered a “significant” weight loss since arriving at the International Space Station in June.
In recently released pictures, 59-year-old Williams is seen very thin, with sunken cheeks and a very thin frame.
“He has lost a lot of weight,” said a NASA employee directly involved in the mission and who attended several briefings.
“The pounds have melted off her body and she is now skin and bones. So helping him stabilize his weight loss and hopefully get it back is the priority.
Williams and fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore passed their pre-mission physical before spaceflight, and were scheduled to stay on the ISS for only eight days.
But When their Boeing Starliner developed a technical faultThey got stuck in space.
A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule will give them a ride home — but it’s not scheduled to return to Earth before February.
They have now been in space for 155 days.
According to a NASA source, Williams, who stands 5 feet 8 inches tall, began the mission weighing about 140 pounds.
But as the mission progressed, Williams was unable to adhere to the high-calorie diet astronauts must eat, the source said.
Because of changes in their metabolism, astronauts eat twice as many calories every day as humans living on Earth.
“They have to eat about 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day to maintain their current weight,” the NASA employee said.
“And when you start lagging behind, your weight drops faster.”
Compounding the problem: To maintain their muscle and bone density in a zero-g environment, they must exercise more than two hours every day to burn even more calories.
Williams, an avid runner, became the first person to run a marathon in space by running on a treadmill with the Boston Marathon in 2007.
To gain weight, Williams may have to eat up to 5,000 calories a day, the source said.
The average woman on Earth needs about 1,600 to 2,400 calories to maintain her weight.
The source said NASA doctors began working with Williams about a month ago to help her lose weight — before the viral photos sparked global concern about her health.
Several NASA studies have shown that the impact of space travel is harsher on women. A 2023 study found that female astronauts lost muscle mass faster than their male counterparts.
But in a statement Thursday, NASA insisted there was nothing to worry about, and they weren’t too concerned about Williams’ weight loss.
“All NASA astronauts aboard the International Space Station undergo routine medical evaluations,” the statement said.
“He has dedicated flight surgeons monitoring him, and he is in good health.”
This shocking picture comes as a team of four NASA astronauts returning to Earth on SpaceX’s Dragon capsule were taken to hospital after spending 200 days on the ISS.
one of those astronauts kept overnight at Ascension Sacred Heart Pensacola Hospital, according to NASA.
The space agency did not disclose the nature of the medical emergency and the astronaut was released the next day.
Speculation about Williams’ health has become fodder for gossip around NASA, the source said.
“When I saw the last picture, I gasped out loud,” the NASA employee said.
“And it’s something we’re talking about, but not something we’re obsessed with. “This is a real concern and everyone is taking it seriously.”
(Tags to translate)US news(T)health food(T)International Space Station(T)NASA
