There have been so many times during our childhood when we have made fun of people around us, be it our grandparents, parents or elderly uncles who snore loudly. What we fail to realize is that - in reality - it is not something that should be taken lightly. Snoring can actually indicate some serious underlying illness.
童年时代，我们总是取笑身边打呼噜超大声的人，不管是祖父母、父母或是年长的叔伯。但我们却未能意识到--实际上--这应该是值得高度重视的问题。打呼实际上可能暗示着一些潜在的严重疾病。

People around the world are being more and more sleep deprived, while the duration of their sleep is declining at a dangerous rate. A good night's rest is important for the overall health of an individual. Most individuals know that obesity has a very negative effect on our health, but few people are aware that weight gain can actually cause snoring.
全世界有越来越多的人睡眠不足，而他们的睡眠时长正以危险速度快速下降。良好的睡眠对每个人的整体健康至关重要。大多数人知道肥胖对健康有着非常负面的影响，但只有少数人意识到体重增加会导致打呼噜。

Surprised, right? Let's dive into its details.
很吃惊，对吧？让我们一探究竟！

What is snoring?
什么是打呼？

Snoring is a sound or noise made as we breathe during sleep. It's a common problem among all age groups and is seen in both genders. What is the connection between weight gain and snoring? Because of an unhealthy lifestyle and diet, weight gain has become a huge problem among a majority of the population and is the root cause of many diseases.
打呼是我们睡觉时发出的声响或噪音。这是所有年龄段的共同问题，男女都会打呼。那体重增加和打呼之间又有何关系呢？由于不健康的生活方式和饮食，体重增加已成为令大多数人头疼的问题，也是造成很多疾病的根本原因。

It has been observed that although snoring is a normal condition, it occurs more frequently in people who are overweight. It is seen that the condition worsens with age. But what really is the relationship between weight gain and snoring?
据观察，尽管打呼是正常现象，但肥胖人群的打呼频率却更高。年龄越大，打呼情况也越严重。但体重增加和打呼之间究竟是何关系？

Excess Fat Deposition
多余的脂肪沉积

Although it may seem like when we gain weight it is deposited in just a few areas, the excess of fat gets distributed in the body as a whole. When this extra layer of fat gets deposited near the throat and neck area, it narrows the air passage. This leads to a hindrance in the airflow, resulting in the sound that we call snoring.
虽然当我们体重增加的时候，脂肪好像只会沉积在少数身体部位，但实际却遍布整个身体。当多余的脂肪沉积在喉咙和颈部，气道会因此变窄。这会导致气流受阻，从而产生我们称之为打呼的声响。

Replacement of Muscle Tone with Fat
脂肪代替了肌肉张力

Another phenomenon that is seen in people who gain weight is that sometimes their fat replaces the muscle tone in the area around the throat. This causes the soft tissue and the soft palate in the throat to become pendulous and results in increased snoring.
我们在体重增加的人身上还观察到了另一现象：有时他们的脂肪会取代喉咙周围的肌肉张力。这就导致喉部的软组织和软腭下垂，从而致使呼噜声加重。