Indian-origin astronaut Sunita Williams, who has been stuck in space since June has recently shared updates about her health condition. The interview has been shared by NASA on its YouTube channel.
“Aboard the International Space Station, Expedition 72 Commander Suni Williams of NASA discussed life and work aboard the orbital outpost during an in-flight interview Nov. 12 with the New England Sports Network for the New England Sports Network Clubhouse Kids Show. Williams is in the midst of a long-duration mission living and working aboard the microgravity laboratory to advance scientific knowledge and demonstrate new technologies for future human and robotic exploration flights as part of NASA’s Moon and Mars exploration approach, including lunar missions through NASA’s Artemis program,” NASA has captioned the interview.
“…I think my body has changed a little bit but I weigh the same…”
Ever since Sunita and her fellow astronaut Barry (Butch) Willmore have been stuck in the space, concerns have been growing around their health. The recent images of Sunita, in which she appeared “gaunt” triggered concerns of the impact of space on rapid weight loss in individuals.
In the video interview, Sunita has put an end to all the speculations, saying, “…I think my body has changed a little bit but I weigh the same…”
“There are a lot of changes that go on here… It’s funny, I think there’s some rumours around that I am losing weight and stuff… No, I am actually right at the same amount…spring mess dampener that weighs ourselves and I’m the same weight that I was when I got up here,” she added.
“I think things shift around quite a bit… you have a fluid shift where you know the folks in space… their heads look a bit bigger because the fluids even out along the body. But now, you know, we have been up here for a couple of months, we’ve been working out here. We have got a bike, we’ve got a treadmill and we have got weight-lifting equipment,” she said.
“I could definitely tell that weightlifting, which is not something that I do all the time, is something that has changed me. My thighs are a little bit bigger, my body is a little bit bigger, we do a lot of squats. And just to go back to the treadmill…why… It’s because we are working on our bone density in our hips and in our feet. So, I think my body has changed a little bit but I weigh the same…,” she added.
During space missions, astronauts experience significant bone loss due to the lack of gravity. On Earth, bones are strengthened through daily activities that work against gravity, but in microgravity, bones lose minerals like calcium and weaken over time. Astronauts can lose up to 1-2% of bone mass per month in space, mainly in weight-bearing bones like the spine, hips, and legs. This bone density loss increases the risk of fractures and long-term osteoporosis. To counteract these effects, astronauts perform daily resistance exercises and take dietary supplements, though fully preventing bone loss in space remains challenging.
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