Is Obesity Caused By A Virus?

New Research Shows Stem Cells Exposed To A Common Virus Turn Into Fat Cells

(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 has 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.

But ethical restraints kept researchers from exposing people to the virus to see what happens. So they did what would be considered the next best thing, said Nikhil Dhurandhar, who headed the research at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in the Louisiana State University system.

They took fat tissue from people who had liposuction, removed adult stem cells from the tissue and exposed the cells to the virus in the lab. Adult stem cells can regenerate and turn into different types of specialized cells to help the body heal itself.

More than half the stem cells exposed to the virus turned into fat cells and accumulated fats, while only a small percentage of the non-exposed stem cells did the same, said researcher Dr. Magdalena Pasarica, who presented the results at the American Chemical Society's annual meeting in Boston.

"It's the first time we see an effect in human cells," Pasarica said in a phone interview.

If a viral cause of obesity can be confirmed, a vaccine could be developed, maybe within five to 10 years, to prevent the virus from making some people fat, Dhurandhar said. However, it wouldn't help people already obese, he said.

Outside experts are intrigued but worry about people blaming all obesity on viruses, when this may be just one of many causes. It doesn't mean it's OK to overeat, blame a bug or wait for some kind of antivirus medicine, they said.

"The cause for obesity in everyone is the same," said Dr. Samuel Klein, director of the Center for Human Nutrition at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis. "You eat more calories than you burn up; You can't get away from that basic law of physics."

But there are many causes that trigger overeating and extra storage of fat in the body, including the virus, Klein said. However, he said he considers the virus only a small factor, easily outweighed by genetics and even childhood eating habits.

Dhurandhar said some of his earlier research found that 30 percent of obese Americans had developed antibodies to the virus, showing they had been exposed to it at some point. But for non-obese people, only 11 percent had antibodies, he said.

That means for some people it is not their fault they are fat, Dhurandhar said.

But Klein said that's not completely right.

"We don't want obese people to feel that it's all their fault because it is not all their fault ... but clearly the buck finally lies with the person," Klein said.

[actornaught]

Appetite and the body''s weight plateau are pretty critical, and are beyond a person''s control. I could believe that something like a virus could affect one or both, and research to find it is to be lauded.

But again, i''m aghast at the venom of so many posters here. Pretty sad stuff. Yes, the best approach to correct a weight problem is diet and exercise, for now.

Why be so ignorant about it? I eat as much as i please, often overeat, and my waist size has never exceded 2 inches less than my inseam, as it has been for 35 years. Perhaps i should say that if you''re a man and your waist excedes your inseam, you''re a worthless excuse for a human? No, I shouldn''t. But if you posted your hate for so many people here, you ARE a destructive little bigot.

[nexgen99]

timothyone:: Here are some facts you seem to lack. Stop making excuses

http://health.msn.com/reports/obesity/

[nexgen99]

timothyone:: Then explain why only one generation ago less than 5 % of Americans were Obese. Your just making excuses like all the rest of the fat lazy people who have no self respect and blame everyone and every thing for their condition.

[timothyone-2009]

Obesity is a natural condition. We are able to decrease it temporarily by going hungry and exercising, but that only works for so long. Blaming fat people is simply wrong. Our brains work together with all the cells in our bodies to regulate hunger and metabolism. When our cells demand food our brain causes hunger. When we refuse to satisfy that hunger by "dieting" our metabolic rate slows so we don''t burn our bodies reserves too quickly. Our bodies are designed for survival and not attractiveness. This Doctor may think fat people need to be encouraged to continue struggling to eat less than their bodies demand, but he is only advocating a failed medical policy. A policy that has made many Physicians very wealthy.

[wolfcruiser]

I would like to inform DR. Samuel Klein that you can gain weight witout eating all the time. I don''t eat most of the day and then eat supper with small portions,and I still gained weight. I started gaining weight slowly about 20 years ago when I started having panic attacks,when the doctors put me on medication. Then when they put me on the seritonin med.it got worse, I was 130 lbs. now I''am 195 which I pretty much stay at, no matter what I do I can''t seem to lose it.

[incog-nito]

Wow! I had no idea there''s a virus out there that''s making people stuff their face full of junk food and sit around all day watching the tube.

[ecuadoriana]

kansas1946 I totally agree with your statement:

"...cut the cats, up the protien, get rid of the 2pct milk, buy whole milk, and throw the sugar out of your house." (Posted by kansas1946 at 07:11 PM : Aug 21, 2007)

"Cut the cats" is a good start, but people should not stop there! They should also cut the cows, pigs, chickens, lambs, buffalo, & other dead animals out of their diet as well. They''d lose a ton of weight, feel healthier & it''s better for the animals & the planet as well.

[kansas1946]

The fat Nazi''s are what is making America fat. In the 70''s, all of the nutritionists, with very little evidence, decided that "fat" makes you fat. Doesn''t matter what kind of fat, just fat. So they discouraged any kind of fat in the American diet. Low-fat margerine, low-fat salad dressing, no nuts, no mayoanise, low fat cookies, baked potatoe chips, low-fat...low-fat...low-fat. Now fat in food is what keeps you feeling full and satisfies, and also makes food taste good. So fat was replaced with salt and sugar in food for taste. People ate low-fat alright, but a whole bunch of low-fat. You know the old joke about Chinese food, you are hungry an hour later? Well, that is what America was feeding their kids for two generations. No only does it make you fat, it destroys your health. Raises blood pressure, cholesterol created diabetes in children, etc.

Read the labels on food, never buy anything that says low-fat, cut the cats, up the protien, get rid of the 2pct milk, buy whole milk, and throw the sugar out of your house.

[susieq_13]

I think indulgence and gluttony is just plain wrong and a sin. That is why there are so many obese people. They sit and watch too much tv and feed their faces. I understand if its a medical condition, put just plain overeating is wrong. After I eat, if I ate too much, I feel miserable, therefore I go for a walk to feel better. Maybe if more people did that instead of keep eating, they wouldn''t be overweight. I guess that is why I''m still far from being overweight. I refuse to make a pig of myself when I eat. Sorry if I offended anyone. Not trying to.

[huskerarmy]

We have 4...and three of them vote REPUBLICAN! :) The 4th is a bedwetting son (literally....he wet the bed till he was 14) and is a liberal. To me, that''''s kind of appropriate! LOL
Needless to say, he is a great disappointment, but we love him anyway. :)
Posted by infidel_us
Sorry infidel... In every redneck family it seems there is always one "disappointment" who breaks the chain, graduates from high school, even goes on to college, and forgoes the pattern of inbreeding forever.

[lawyertom1]

Re Infidel Us. Do you know how stupid you sound with these types of comments? Of course you do. Let''s see. Mormons have lots of kids, and are ethnically classified as white. Catholics have lots of kids, and are white, brown, black, etc. etc. From a genetic point of view, ethnicity is are artifact, of no meaning scientifically. So, your point is: Your a bigot and want us all to know it? I am soooo impressed. I know, I know, it is that virus that infected your brain that made you so. So sorry. Quite the pity.

[lawyertom1]

The thesis seems flawed since nearly everyone is exposed to the virus, but not everyone is obese. Also, the virus has been around for a long time, and yet the trend in obesity is fairly recent. Skepticism would appear appropriate.

[actornaught]

well, what i meant to say was, I hope you don''t have KKKids hiding under that rock with you.

I guess at least one escaped, tho'' pretty much everybody gets called a liberal when you''re that far off the road...

[erasmus6]

"Nothing like letting your bigotry bark loud and clear, you pointy-hooded dirt pile. I hope you don''t have kids..." posted by actornaught

Hahaha. actornaught, you are just too cute!

The sad thing is, infidel_us has 4 children and has just outed one of them as being a bed wetter and a major disappointment, TO THE WHOLE WORLD.:)

[infidel_us]

I hope you don''''''''t have kids...
Posted by actornaught

We have 4...and three of them vote REPUBLICAN! :) The 4th is a bedwetting son (literally....he wet the bed till he was 14) and is a liberal. To me, that''s kind of appropriate! LOL

Needless to say, he is a great disappointment, but we love him anyway. :)

[mudrose-2009]

Maybe this version should be titled "Planet of the Idiots".
Posted by ecuadoriana at 02:53 PM : Aug 21, 2007

Soylant Green''''s theme was over population. Anglo-Saxons don''''t have that problem. Perhaps you should change the name to "Soylanto Verde" :)
Posted by infidel_us

Nothing like letting your bigotry bark loud and clear, you pointy-hooded dirt pile. I hope you don''''t have kids...
Posted by actornaught

I''m telling ya. IT''S ALL BUSH''S FAULT!

[actornaught]

...over population. Anglo-Saxons don''''t have that problem. Perhaps you should change the name to "Soylanto Verde" :)
Posted by infidel_us

Nothing like letting your bigotry bark loud and clear, you pointy-hooded dirt pile. I hope you don''t have kids...

[infidel_us]

Maybe this version should be titled "Planet of the Idiots".
Posted by ecuadoriana at 02:53 PM : Aug 21, 2007

Soylant Green''s theme was over population. Anglo-Saxons don''t have that problem. Perhaps you should change the name to "Soylanto Verde" :)

[infidel_us]

The Ungrateful Americans
Posted by mudrose at 02:56 PM : Aug 21, 2007

Starring Leo DiCaprio, Sean Penn, and George Clooney
Special guest appearance by Babs Strisand as "The Ho" :)

[mudrose-2009]

Ahhhh yes, Soylent Green, loved it!

The ending made me really appreciate what we have.
Posted by erasmus6

Someone made a rather tasteless remark regarding pigs, but it seems to be the truth. He said if you piled several pigs in a cage one on top of the other, they wouldn''t starve. They would feed off their own *****. Pigs, very unhealthy animals just like shrimp, crabs, lobsters, the Scavengers of the deep. People should stop eating *** including each other.