社交活动有利于保持苗条身材

Keeping a busy social life amongst lots of friends may keep people slimmer than spending several hours on a treadmill, according to scientists。

科学家研究发现，与在跑步机上锻炼几个小时相比，忙于参加朋友们的社交活动可能更有利于保持苗条身材。

Scientists believe social activities can release a brain chemical that converts white fat into brown fat. Brown fat burns calories to generate heat, while white fat stores calories and makes us fatter。

科学家认为，社交活动能使大脑释放一种化学物质，将白色脂肪转化为棕色脂肪，后者可以燃烧卡路里，产生热量，而白色脂肪却储存卡路里，使人长胖。

Converting white fat into brown fat is very difficult, normally requiring long-term exposure to cold conditions or activating part of the body's nervous system. However, scientists from Ohio State University think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of carrying out this conversion。

白色脂肪转化为棕色脂肪出奇地难，通常需要长期暴露在寒冷的环境中，或者激活人体部分神经系统。但俄亥俄州立大学的科学家认为，繁忙的社交生活能更有效地进行这一转换。

Tests on mice showed that those lived in large communities and had more space and toys lost half of their abdominal weight in four weeks, even if they ate more than those in boring, lonely environments. Researchers said that social stimulation aids weight loss。

在老鼠身上进行的试验发现，尽管比生活在单调、孤独环境中的老鼠的食量大，但那些生活在大环境中、拥有更多空间和玩具的老鼠，四周后腹部脂肪竟然减少一半。研究者认为，社交的兴奋感有助于减肥。

However, social activities make some people worried. Study author Dr Matthew During of Ohio State University said, "I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs... We often think of stress as a negative thing, but some kinds of stress can be good for your health."

然而，社交活动让一些人感到焦虑。研究报告的作者、来自俄亥俄州立大学的马修·迪兰博士说：“能减掉这么多体重，我还是很吃惊的……我们通常认为压力有负面影响，但一些压力对健康是有好处的。”

Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socializing, he added, "It's not just a sedentary lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social engagement."

在解释新科技如何威胁到面对面的社交活动时，迪兰博士补充说：“这不仅会导致人们更喜欢坐着不动，吃更多高卡路里食品，而且还会使人们越来越疏于社交。”

Co-author Dr Cao Lei said, "Loneliness is a profound factor for cancer and death; it's on par with cigarette smoking. Social engagement is very important."

合著者曹磊博士说：“孤独是导致癌症和死亡的深层因素，相当于吸烟。参加社交活动非常重要。”