I don't mean to be alarmist but some new research has revealed the harm that can be done by gaining even a modest amount of weight - say three kilos over your summer holiday or a blow-out over Christmas. I think it's worth reporting because it goes some way to explaining why being overweight can cause so much ill health. And it goes straight to the heart of the matter, your actual cells.

我并不是危言聳聽，但一些新研究揭示：只是重了幾斤卻會帶來嚴重危害--比如暑假或圣誕節聚會讓你胖了3公斤。我認為這是值得報道的，因為這也解釋了為什么過重會導致太多疾病。而且這也直擊問題的中心，你的實際細胞。

A gain of few pounds can affect your cardiovascular system and increase the risk of heart failure by causing inflammation of your heart muscle. It can also set off harmful cellular inflammation that's linked to insulin resistance. A research team lead by Michael Snyder, an eminent Stanford University genetics professor, tried to understand what happens when we gain weight and to examine risks.

胖了幾磅會影響你的心血管系統、通過導致心肌發炎增加你心力衰竭的風險。同時還會導致有害的、與抗胰島素性相關的細胞炎癥。斯坦福大學的著名遺傳學教授邁克爾·斯奈德領導的一個研究小組試圖理解我們增重之后會發生什么，并測驗長胖帶來的風險。

"I don't think we know in incredible molecular detail what happens when people gain weight or when they lose it," he said. He and his colleagues persuaded 23 people to start eating a high calorie but not intrinsically unhealthy diet. "It wasn't exactly french fries and McDonald's," said Prof Snyder. "But it was definitely more food."

"我認為當人們胖了或瘦了的時候，他們并不了解其間所發生的令人難以置信的分子細節，"他說道。他和他的同事說服了23人開始吃高熱量但本質健康的飲食。"并不是吃的炸薯條和麥當勞，"斯奈德教授說道。"但當然不止這些食物。"

After 30 days researchers measured their weight, which had increased by about 6lb a person. At the same time, they measured markers of cellular health throughout their bodies. Prof Snyder said he was shocked by the changes, which he described in the journal Cell Systems. "A huge number of changes occurred, just with the kind of weight you might gain over the holidays," he said. He added that the major changes involved inflammation and the heart.

30天后，研究人員稱了他們的體重，每個人大約增重61磅。同時，研究員測量了他們體內的細胞健康的標志物。斯奈德教授說，變化讓他感到吃驚，他在《細胞系統》期刊上描述了這一點。"只是節假日增重幾斤卻帶來了很多變化，"他說道。他補充表示，主要的變化包括炎癥和心臟。

The second part of the experiment, however, was very encouraging. After putting on the weight, the volunteers were placed on a diet and given help to lose it. When they did, almost all the damaging changes returned to normal.

然而，研究的第二部分令人鼓舞。增重之后，研究員安排志愿者飲食，幫助他們減肥。當他們瘦回去的時候，幾乎所有的有害變化都恢復正常了。

I don't mean to be alarmist but some new research has revealed the harm that can be done by gaining even a modest amount of weight - say three kilos over your summer holiday or a blow-out over Christmas. I think it's worth reporting because it goes some way to explaining why being overweight can cause so much ill health. And it goes straight to the heart of the matter, your actual cells.

我并不是危言聳聽，但一些新研究揭示：只是重了幾斤卻會帶來嚴重危害--比如暑假或圣誕節聚會讓你胖了3公斤。我認為這是值得報道的，因為這也解釋了為什么過重會導致太多疾病。而且這也直擊問題的中心，你的實際細胞。

A gain of few pounds can affect your cardiovascular system and increase the risk of heart failure by causing inflammation of your heart muscle. It can also set off harmful cellular inflammation that's linked to insulin resistance. A research team lead by Michael Snyder, an eminent Stanford University genetics professor, tried to understand what happens when we gain weight and to examine risks.

胖了幾磅會影響你的心血管系統、通過導致心肌發炎增加你心力衰竭的風險。同時還會導致有害的、與抗胰島素性相關的細胞炎癥。斯坦福大學的著名遺傳學教授邁克爾·斯奈德領導的一個研究小組試圖理解我們增重之后會發生什么，并測驗長胖帶來的風險。

"I don't think we know in incredible molecular detail what happens when people gain weight or when they lose it," he said. He and his colleagues persuaded 23 people to start eating a high calorie but not intrinsically unhealthy diet. "It wasn't exactly french fries and McDonald's," said Prof Snyder. "But it was definitely more food."

"我認為當人們胖了或瘦了的時候，他們并不了解其間所發生的令人難以置信的分子細節，"他說道。他和他的同事說服了23人開始吃高熱量但本質健康的飲食。"并不是吃的炸薯條和麥當勞，"斯奈德教授說道。"但當然不止這些食物。"

After 30 days researchers measured their weight, which had increased by about 6lb a person. At the same time, they measured markers of cellular health throughout their bodies. Prof Snyder said he was shocked by the changes, which he described in the journal Cell Systems. "A huge number of changes occurred, just with the kind of weight you might gain over the holidays," he said. He added that the major changes involved inflammation and the heart.

30天后，研究人員稱了他們的體重，每個人大約增重61磅。同時，研究員測量了他們體內的細胞健康的標志物。斯奈德教授說，變化讓他感到吃驚，他在《細胞系統》期刊上描述了這一點。"只是節假日增重幾斤卻帶來了很多變化，"他說道。他補充表示，主要的變化包括炎癥和心臟。

The second part of the experiment, however, was very encouraging. After putting on the weight, the volunteers were placed on a diet and given help to lose it. When they did, almost all the damaging changes returned to normal.

然而，研究的第二部分令人鼓舞。增重之后，研究員安排志愿者飲食，幫助他們減肥。當他們瘦回去的時候，幾乎所有的有害變化都恢復正常了。