A Fat Virus? - More Likely Than You'd Think

I'd ordinarily be the very last person to even begin to suggest that obesity could be related to much more than diet and exercise, and maybe genetics to some extent. However, some disturbing new research has shown a correlation between a certain virus and obesity.

The human adenovirus 36, which is pretty common, and is one of the main viruses causing pink eye and respiratory infections, has been found to have the unusual ability to convert adult stem cells directly into fat cells. Fat cells are less metabolically active as compared to muscle cells or other kinds of cells, and depending on a variety of factors including age, serum testosterone, physical activity levels, and insulin sensitivity, these fat cells converted by Ad-36 (human adenovirus 36) may be unusually hard to get rid of.

The research was reported and presented at the American Chemical Society in Massachusetts on August 19-23rd.
Part of the research included previous related studies which found that about 30 percent of obese individuals were infected the Ad-36 virus as compared to only 10 percent of lean individuals. The team of researchers and scientists that reported this research is now trying to determine what predisposes one to contracting the virus.

However, it is another perspective on this same point that perhaps it is not the virus that makes one fat, but that being obese typically means one is in poor health, and poor health is a universally accepted contributor to getting sick and contracting diseases.

If Ad-36 really is responsible for such significant numbers of obesity, that might explain why someone is, according to yet other research and studies, is several times more likely to be obese if their friends and/or family are obese. Or could this be another case of correlation not necessarily meaning causation? People that are friends or related to obese people could be more likely to be obese simply because you are likely to be friends with people in the same living conditions as you, and a slow metabolism is, even though many wouldn't like to admit it, genetic.

Many are still eagerly awaiting more word on the fat virus. It is interesting to think what kind of ramifications this might have on the health and fitness community should the virus be conclusively proven to be as widely spread a cause of obesity as some preliminary studies have suggested.

However, the standard advice still stands; genetics and this possible, viral encumbrance can be overcome with a health, natural diet and a strong and consistent exercise regimen.