Wed Nov 20 16:18:38 UTC 2024: ## Astronaut Sunita Williams Addresses Weight Loss Concerns: “Fluid Shift,” Not Illness
**Houston, TX** – Astronaut Sunita Williams has dismissed concerns about her health following the release of photos showing a significant weight loss. The 59-year-old, currently stranded aboard the International Space Station (ISS), attributed her altered appearance to a common phenomenon among astronauts: fluid shift.
Speaking to children on the “New England Sports Network Clubhouse” show, Williams explained that fluids redistribute in the body in microgravity, causing a change in facial features. She added that she’s actually gained muscle mass during her extended stay, due to a rigorous exercise regime, stating, “My thighs are a little bit bigger, my butt is a little bit bigger. We do a lot of squats.”
However, a NASA employee involved in Williams’ mission anonymously told a news outlet last week that the astronaut has experienced significant weight loss, describing her as “skin and bones.” The source stated that Williams, whose mission was initially scheduled for eight days but has stretched to over five months due to technical issues with the return vehicle, has struggled to maintain the high-calorie diet necessary for astronauts. NASA doctors have been working with Williams for about a month to address the weight loss, even before the photos surfaced.
NASA has maintained that Williams is in good health and undergoes routine medical evaluations, emphasizing that dedicated flight surgeons are monitoring her condition. Williams and her fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore are expected to return to Earth in February 2025 aboard a SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, after their original return vehicle malfunctioned.
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