Astronauts have eat twice as many calories as earthbound humans need each day. To put on weight, Williams needs to eat up to 5,000 daily calories. “They have to eat about 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day, just to maintain their current weight,” said the NASA employee.
Astronaut Sunita Williams, in space for 155 days, has suffered a “significant” weight loss since arriving at the International Space Station in June. The health of the 59-year-old came into focus after newly released photos showed Williams appearing jarringly gaunt, with sunken cheeks and a noticeably thinner frame.
The pounds have melted off her and she’s now skin and bones. So it’s a priority to help her stabilize the weight loss and hopefully reverse it,” a NASA employee who is directly involved in the mission was quoted as saying by The New York Post.
Williams and fellow astronaut Barry Wilmore were only slated to be on the ISS for eight days, but technical malfunctions in the Boeing Starliner forced them to be stranded in space.
A SpaceX Crew Dragon capsule, which is set to bring them home, is not due to return to Earth until February.
According to reports, 5-foot-8 Williams began the mission at approximately 140 lbs.
But their extended stay in the space has reportedly taken a toll on their health. As per the report, Williams was unable to keep up with the high-caloric diets that astronauts must consume.
Astronauts have eat twice as many calories as earthbound humans need each day. To put on weight, Williams needs to eat up to 5,000 daily calories.
“They have to eat about 3,500 to 4,000 calories per day, just to maintain their current weight,” said the NASA employee.
An average woman on Earth needs approximately 1,600 to 2,400 calories to maintain their weight.
Apart from high-calorie intake, they must also exercise for more than two hours each day to maintain their muscle mass and bone density in a zero-G environment, burning even more calories.
An avid runner, Williams became the first person to run a marathon in space in 2007 by running along with the Boston Marathon on a treadmill.
According to the report, NASA doctors started working on Williams’ health about a month ago — even before the widely shared images caused global concern about her health.
Several NASA studies have shown space travel taking a toll on the health of women. A 2023 study found that female astronauts lose muscle at a faster rate than their male counterparts.