雙語閱讀:社交活動有助於保持苗條身材
Keeping a busy social life amongst lots of friends may keep people slimmer than spending hours on a treadmill, according to scientists.
科學家研究發現，與在跑步機上鍛鍊幾個小時相比，跟朋友一起參加社交活動更有利於保持苗條身材。
They say that socialising and meeting with friends helps boost levels of 'brown fat' in the body which burns calories to generate heat.
研究人員表示，社交活動和朋友聚會能幫助提高體內“棕色脂肪”的含量，這種脂肪可以燃燒卡路里，產生熱量。
Living in a stimulating, social environment was found to reduce abdominal fat in mice by half over four weeks, even if they ate more.
據發現，在興奮的社交環境中生活的老鼠，四周後腹部脂肪減半，即使它們的食量增大。
US researchers say that social stimulation aids weight loss by converting white fat into brown.
美國研究者認爲，社交興奮感可以把“白色脂肪”轉化爲“棕色脂肪”，從而有助於減肥。
White stores calories and makes us fatter, while brown burns energy to generate heat.
“白色脂肪”儲存卡路里，使人們長胖，而“棕色脂肪”能夠燃燒能量，產生熱量。
Converting white fat into brown is notoriously difficult, normally requiring long term exposure to cold conditions or activating part of the body's nervous system.
“白色脂肪”轉化爲“棕色脂肪”出奇困難，通常需要長期暴露在寒冷的環境中，或者激活人體部分神經緊張系統。
However, scientists from Ohio State University now think that having a busy social life is an even more effective way of changing white fat into brown.
但俄亥俄州立大學的科學家認爲，繁忙的社交生活能更有效地促使“白色脂肪”轉化爲“棕色脂肪”。
The team came up with their theory by studying the effects of various living environments on mice.
研究小組通過研究不同的生活環境對小鼠的影響得出了這一理論。
Those who lived alongside a greater number of mice, had more space and toys to stimulate them lost far more weight over the course of the study than their 'couch potato' counterparts.
在研究期間，和那些總是呆着不動的小鼠相比，有更多夥伴、更大空間和更多玩具的實驗鼠減肥效果更明顯。
Study author Dr Matthew During, whose team's findings appear in journal Cell Metabolism said: I'm still amazed at the degree of fat loss that occurs.
研究報告作者馬修迪蘭博士說：“能減掉這麼多體重，我還是很吃驚。”研究報告發表在《細胞 代謝》期刊上。
Explaining how new technology had threatened face-to-face socialising, he added: 'It's not just a sedentary lifestyle and high calorie foods, but an increasing lack of social engagement.'
在解釋新科技如何威脅到面對面的社交活動時，他補充說：“這不僅會導致人們更喜歡坐着不動，吃更多高卡路里食品，而且會使人們越來越疏於社交。”
Co-author Dr Lei Cao 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（音）博士說：“孤獨是導致癌症和死亡的深層因素，相當於吸菸。參加社交非常重要。”
Vocabulary:
treadmill: 跑步機，踏車，也可以用來指單調乏味的工作，令人厭倦的工作
couch potato: 是指長時間呆在沙發上看電視的一類人，電視迷，也稱爲“沙發土豆”
sedentary: accustomed to sitting or to taking little exercise（久坐的，坐慣的）
on par with: at the same level as someone or something（不相上下，不遜於）
