Obesity may be as contagious as the common cold

Studies have demonstrated that chickens and mice infected with AD-36, a highly infectious “adenovirus” germ known to cause coughs, sore throats, diarrhea and conjunctivitis, gained weight faster than the control group of uninfected animals. Monkeys treated in the same manner exhibited huge weight gains. In addition, studies on human revealed that one-third of obese adults had contracted the AD-36 virus at some time in their lives, compared to only 11 percent of thin men and women.

Professor Nikhil Dhurandhar of Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana, US, led the research. As Dr. Dhurandhar notes, people infected with the AD-36 continued to gain weight long after they had appeared to recover. ““We now know that this virus goes to the lungs and spreads to various organs such as the liver, kidney, brain and fat tissue. When it goes to fat tissue it replicates, making more copies of itself and in the process increases the number of new fat cells, which may explain why people get fat when they are infected with this virus.”  The findings also indicate that people who are overweight and diet will always experience hunger pangs, even if they become lean and healthy.

Some medical experts expressed caution about the findings. Tony Barnett, professor of medicine at the University of Birmingham in England, says: “These associations may give some clues but they detract from the basic message that we all need to take more exercise and eat a bit less.” And as Dr. Colin Waine, Chairman of the National Obesity Forum in England, cautions, “We must acknowledge it is a contribution to the research, but it doesn't alter the management of obesity.”

News Release: Obesity bug you can catch www.dailyexpress.co.uk January 29, 2009