While frozen in carbonite how did Han manage to gain 20 pounds?

You'll also notice his hands are free but when he went into the carbonite freezer his hands were cuffed.

 

Well, since Han managed to escape the ghastly and instantaneous death that being drenched in a molten metal-like substance that immediately solidified around him should have caused, I guess a little weight gain is sort of a secondary mystery.

 

You can put that down to the magic of future technology. Perhaps Jabba was force feeding him pies while he was in there.

 

Past technology.

 

More advanced than current day Earth technology then.

 

Sometimes when I first get up in the morning I have a puffy face, and that's after only 8 hours of sleep.

 

Lack of exercise does that to you.

 

Common misconception, The Ugnaughts undid his cuffs before freezing him. Pay attention int eh scene and you see it.

Second, Carbonite...Carbs. Its no mystery why Han gained weight, later in life he became the Republic's first spokesman for the Atkins Diet.

 

Carbonite molecules saturated his cells during the freezing process, thus bloating him.

 

Yes, that's the problem with carbonite...it's so moreish.


It's true that Han's cuffs were removed before he was frozen but the binders on his arms weren't and they are gone when he is unfrozen in ROTJ. I think that is generally explained by them having melted either during the freezing or unfreezing process.

 

Water weight gain.

 

Or they arm binders just sprang off of him right before he froze all the way.

 

I've always sorta assumed that carbonite is a metal or alloy that can remain liquid at very low temperatures. As for hibernation-they probably just drugged the bejesus out of him to lower his metabolism, brain functions, and heart/breathing rate.

Although honestly, Han should have come out of there emaciated and spent the remainder of the film foraging for berries on Edor.

 

His arms got so flabby from the pies Jabba was force-feeding him ("HO HO HO! I get my revenge by giving you a heart attack in another twenty years!") that he broke the cuffs.

 

This is the sort of thing that ruins the prequ--- errr.... Star Wars films for me. I am sure some stupid retcon will explain it all away like the one about Artoo's thrusters.

 

Perhaps he was being fed with liquid nutrients while he was in there, but due to his lack of physical activity weight gain was inevitable over time.

 

From HoloNet News:

Carbonite-Freezing Bad For The Waistline

CLOUD CITY, BESPIN, ISON CORRIDOR - An accident at a Tibanna gas processing plant has demonstrated that sentient beings can survive being frozen in carbonite, but that they might need a diet when they are unfrozen. Ugloste, an Ugnaught who is chief of operations at the Cloud City Tibanna Processing Facility on Bespin, was recently involved in a mishap that left him frozen in a slab of solid carbonite for several days. When the diminutive native of the Anoat system failed to report to work, an extensive search of the city failed to turn up the one meter tall operations chief. It was days later than another Ugnaught laborer who was preparing several slabs of the metal alloy for shipment to Corellia discovered the frozen form of Ugloste in one of the carbonite slabs.

Scans performed by an emergency medical team revealed that Ugloste was in fact still alive and in a state of hibernation. After transporting the carbonite slab and its unfortunate Ugnaught occupant to Cloud City's Emergency Medical Services Department, the carbon-freezing process was reversed and the patient "thawed". The Ugnaught reportedly revived and was immediately conscious. He complained only of blindness which is said to have resolved completely over the following two days. The only other side effect of Chief Ugloste's being frozen in carbonite was the addition of approximately ten pounds of body weight. A Cloud City physician theorized that during the unfreezing process, some of the carbon in the carbonite is directly and harmlessly absorbed by the tissues of the body, resulting in an increase in body mass.

 

The question should be:

While Han was frozen in carbonite, how did George Lucas manage
to gain 40 pounds?


Beru.... where's my brew!!??

 

I was making a joke, rsterling...

 

A Cloud City physician theorized that during the unfreezing process, some of the carbon in the carbonite is directly and harmlessly absorbed by the tissues of the body, resulting in an increase in body mass.

Darth Dark Helmet was right, carbonite equals carbs !

 

Everybody knows the classic symptoms of hibernation sickness...excessive perspiration, blindness, and weight gain. That's why you should ask your doctor if Hibernol is right for you. When taken daily, Hibernol is proven to be effective in counteracting the effects of hibernation sickness.

Possible side effects of Hibernol include loss if hearing, loss of taste, constipation, erectile dysfunction, and dry mouth. Severe heart palpitations have been report in 2% of patients. Do not take Hibernol if you are pregnant or may become pregnant. Do not take Hibernol with alcohol, as this has been known to increase side effects. Do not take Hibernol if you are taking beta blockers or NSAID pain relievers. If you experience hair loss, tooth loss, or death while taking Hibernol, please discontinue usage immediately and see your doctor.

 

OMG....

Han couldn't use Hibernol to prevent weight gain because he was pregnant.