Study Finds Virus Contributes to Obesity

WASHINGTON (AP) - In the buffet of reasons for why Americans are getting fatter, researchers are piling more evidence on the plate for one still-controversial cause: a virus.

New research announced Monday found that when human stem cells _ the blank slate of the cell world _ were exposed to a common virus they turned into fat cells. They didn't just change, they stored fat, too.

While this may be a guilt-free explanation for putting on pounds, it doesn't explain all or even most of America's growing obesity problem. But it adds to other recent evidence that blames expanding waistlines on more than just super-sized appetites and underused muscles.

For several years, researchers have looked at a possible link between obesity and this common virus, called adenovirus-36, from a family of viruses that cause colds and pinkeye in people. They had already found that a higher percentage of fat people had been infected with the virus than nonfat people. They had exposed animals to the virus and got them to fatten up and even found a a gene in the virus that causes animals to get obese.

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=106&sid=1226185
So a fat vaccine is coming? Interesting. I doubt this is sole reason for the obesity epidemic, diet and exercise *is* a problem in this country, but this is nonetheless interesting

Once the fat cells are there, they don;t leave.. they just vary in size depending on how much fat they store..That's why diets fail.. It's like emptying a ziploc bag of water.. the bage is skinny when it's empty, but is can easily be refilled.:grr:

You'd have to consume an awful lot of virus's to gain much weight

the way the body stores fat:shrug:

I found it funny anyway.

... as mammals age their ability to hunt and find food on a consistent basis diminishes and some kind of aging mechanism triggers the body to become 'super-efficient' in utilizing the food that is ingested and to store it to overcome longer periods without food.

While not understanding the mechanism yet, there seems to be some validity to this theory when you consider that people who go on diets may lose weight in the short term but inevitably they regain the weight and sometimes add even more weight as they engage in yo-yo dieting.

I think the researchers are onto something in studying this virus. If people are predisposed to gain weight, there may be a host of triggering mechanisms --including this virus, that set the wheels in motion.

Although I did have pinkeye numerous times as a little, fat kid.

I would be very surprised to learn this virus caused obesity, but not at all surprised to learn it is a major contributing factor. Treatment for the virus could go a long way in making diet and excercise much more effective.