There is a lot of good advice to help us avoid becoming obese, such as “Eat less,” and “Exercise.” But here’s a new and surprising piece of advice based on a promising area of obesity research: “Wash your hands.”
There is accumulating evidence that certain viruses may cause obesity, in essence making obesity contagious, according to Leah D. Whigham, the lead researcher in a new study, “Adipogenic potential of multiple human adenoviruses in vivo and in vitro in animals,” in the January issue of the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology published by the American Physiological Society.
The study, by Whigham, Barbara A. Israel and Richard L. Atkinson, of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, found that the human adenovirus Ad-37 causes obesity in chickens. This finding builds on studies that two related viruses, Ad-36 and Ad-5, also cause obesity in animals.
Moreover, Ad-36 has been associated with human obesity, leading researchers to suspect that Ad-37 also may be implicated in human obesity. Whigham said more research is needed to find out if Ad-37 causes obesity in humans. One study was inconclusive, because only a handful of people showed evidence of infection with Ad-37 ? not enough people to draw any conclusions, she said. Ad-37, Ad-36 and Ad-5 are part of a family of approximately 50 viruses known as human adenoviruses.
Researchers now must:
* identify the viruses that cause human obesity
* devise a screening test to identify people who are infected
* develop a vaccine
Screening test and vaccine still a long way off
The Whigham et al. study prompted an editorial in the same issue of AJP-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology by Frank Greenway, professor in the Department of Clinical Trials, Pennington Biomedical Research Center, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge.
“If Ad-36 is responsible for a significant portion of human obesity, the logical therapeutic intervention would be to develop a vaccine to prevent future infections,” Greenway wrote. “If a vaccine were to be developed, one would want to ensure that all the serotypes of human adenoviruses responsible for human obesity were covered in the vaccine.”
“If one could predict the potential of an adenovirus to cause human obesity by using an in vitro assay or even by animal testing, screening of the approximately 50 human adenoviruses might be accelerated, shortening the time required for vaccine formulation,” Greenway wrote. “Human antibody prevalence in obese and lean human populations appears to be the only reliable method to screen adenoviruses for their potential to cause obesity in humans at the present time,” he noted.
Obesity contagion theory slow to catch on
The notion that viruses can cause obesity has been a contentious one among scientists, Whigham said. And yet, there is evidence that factors other than poor diet or lack of exercise may be at work in the obesity epidemic. “The prevalence of obesity has doubled in adults in the United States in the last 30 years and has tripled in children,” the study noted. “With the exception of infectious diseases, no other chronic disease in history has spread so rapidly, and the etiological factors producing this epidemic have not been clearly identified.”
“It makes people feel more comfortable to think that obesity stems from lack of control,” Whigham said. “It’s a big mental leap to think you can catch obesity.” However, other diseases once thought to be the product of environmental factors are now known to stem from infectious agents. For example, ulcers were once thought to be the result of stress, but researchers eventually implicated bacteria, H. pylori, as a cause.
“The nearly simultaneous increase in the prevalence of obesity in most countries of the world is difficult to explain by changes in food intake and exercise alone, and suggest that adenoviruses could have contributed,” the study said. “The role of adenoviruses in the worldwide epidemic of obesity is a critical question that demands additional research.”
Ad-37 third virus implicated in animal obesity
The theory that viruses could play a part in obesity began a few decades ago when Nikhil Dhurandhar, now at Pennington Biomedical Research Center at LSU, noticed that chickens in India infected with the avian adenovirus SMAM-1 had significantly more fat than non-infected chickens. The discovery was intriguing because the explosion of human obesity, even in poor countries, has led to suspicions that overeating and lack of exercise weren’t the only culprits in the rapidly widening human girth. Since then, Ad-36 has been found to be more prevalent in obese humans.
In the current study, Whigham et al. attempted to determine which adenoviruses (in addition to Ad-36 and Ad-5) might be associated with obesity in chickens. The animals were separated into four groups and exposed to either Ad-2, Ad-31, or Ad-37. There was also a control group that was not exposed to any of the viruses. The researchers measured food intake and tracked weight over three weeks before ending the experiment and measuring the chickens’ visceral fat, total body fat, serum lipids, and viral antibodies.
Chickens inoculated with Ad-37 had much more visceral fat and body fat compared with the chickens infected with Ad-2, Ad-31 or the control group, even though they didn’t eat any more. The Ad-37 group was also generally heavier compared to the other three groups, but the difference wasn’t great enough to be significant by scientific standards.
The authors concluded that Ad-37 increases obesity in chickens, but Ad-2 and Ad-31 do not. “Ad-37 is the third human adenovirus to increase adiposity in animals, but not all adenoviruses produce obesity,” the study concluded.
There is still much to learn about how these viruses work, Whigham said. “There are people and animals that get infected and don’t get fat. We don’t know why,” she said. Among the possibilities: the virus hasn’t been in the body long enough to produce the additional fat; or the virus creates a tendency to obesity that must be triggered by overeating, she said.
Mass screening for these viruses is impractical right now because there is no simple blood test available that would quickly identify exposure to a suspect virus, Whigham et al. said. More work is needed to develop such a test, Whigham said.
From APS
While this does make more of an incentive for people to wash their hands and be more hygienic, what does this mean for people who are heavy or obese, and depressed? I know a lot of people who are overweight that have had disgusting experiences of people being extremely rude to them just for the fact of being overweight. Telling the public that obesity is contagious will spur even more shunning and degrading acts towards overweight people.
I think that is a very reasonable hypothesis.
I don’t know your age or diet history, I
say this to open the subject of….
How is your salt intake and potassium? A
low “k-factor”, according to Dr Richard D.
Moore M.D., Ph.D. in “The High Blood
Pressure Solution” can lead to the loss
of ability to matabolize fat properly.
In my case, at 57 (two years now 59),
going on a high potassium, very low sodium
diet resulted in the loss of 32 pounds and
it is staying off. I also got off the B.P.
medication.
I find not one shread of truth in this article.
I myself became ill, and had what my doctor called “mysterious” symptoms that were unrelated. Some of the symptoms included low fever, respiratory problems, join pain, muscle pain, and exhaustion. I also put on over 20 lbs in one month, with NO change in my diet or exercise level. I had a full workup of almost every blood test, x-ray and the like. They found nothing, thyroid normal, etc… He dismissed the weight gain, and insisted that I must have dramatically changed my diet or exercise to put on that much weight in a month. I was treated for the symptoms(not the weight gain) and told to diet and exercise more. I have been doing additional dieting and exercising for 4 MONTHS now and have only been able to lose about 5 pounds. Suffice it to say, I would like to see much more study in this area.
Assuming this holds up to scrutiny, it will be interesting to ask how such a virus got into the human population. The article implies that this happened recently (else it would not account for a recently-observed statistical uptick in obesity, contradicting the suggestions in the article).
One might reasonably wonder if the industrialization of the chicken industry since WWII selected for this virus, which then found its way into human beings through the food supply. In other words, perhaps economic pressure to raise nice fat birds cheaply tended to make the virus more prevalent in chickens, increasing the likelyhood of eventual transmission to humans.
The age disparity noted in the frequency of obesity may be linked to the younger citizens being less likely to wash after, well, doing just about anything.
The current lack of hygiene is not limited to mental…
The propensity for (re)infection must be greater as a result?
I’m not one to go against scientific studies, but this one really got me interested in what are people thinking. Seriously, if obesity can now be classified as a contagious disease, then we should begin rounding up all the fat people into concentration camps to save the skinny people. Or better yet, have the obese march down to your local social services building and demand disablity because not only is being obese classified as a disease, you are now a detriment to society and should not be allowed into the workplace. Along those same lines, I know a good laywer that would sue for damages because now all the obese people would become xenophobic. And if we want to continue this slippery sloped logic, I know the leader of a small european nation that would love an excuse to terminate the lives of another 3 million people (although the stampede might not be worth it). On a serious note, to say that one can catch obesity is not only dangerous but fool-hardy, perhaps more research should have been done before making a claim as large(pardon the pun) as this. I do hope that the scientists involved get their funding so that they don’t have to scrub the tests after 3 weeks. On a personal note, my wife is large and one of my daughters is large, however, niether myself nor my youngest is large, proving that in the 6 years I’ve been married I have not “caught” fat. Enjoy your cake, and avoid the obese!!
additionally the journal article shows no increase in the weight of the birds, just their fat content. AND they sack the birds 3 weeks after infection. Is that long enough for an immune response to develop to mitigate the consequences of infection? Is it even relevant to humans whatsoever?
One would think that a very thin person would suddenly become obese after “catching” the virus — without changes to their eating or exercise regimen. Is there any evidence to suggest that this is the case? I have never heard of any “mystery” obesity cases which have risen out of no where. Also the obesity epidemic is rising in children even more than adults – why would a virus distinguish between the two (or if the answer is that older generations are resistant, why would that be the case?) Overall the conclusions of this study sound highly questionable even based on anecdotal evidence.
I just watched a documentary on Ad-36, which doesn’t make me an expert, but presumably I now know more than many of the previous people who’ve commented here:
They checked a pair of twins who had very different body weights (which is said to be unusual, since identical twins tend to maintain nearly identical weights). The fatter twin tested positive for antibodies for the adenovirus; the skinny (normal) twin tested negative, meaning she had not been exposed. That seems like a pretty positive confirmation.
The documentary suggested that fat people are not contagious… the virus comes along, modifies a bunch of “pre-fat” cells turning them into regular fat cells, and doesn’t stick around. The damage is done, and probably cannot be reversed.
They tested a bunch of people in the UK; a substantial portion of the obese people did test positive for exposure to the adenovirus. The lean people that were tested as a control sample were all negative.
The virus can’t be blamed for all the overweight people, but even if it’s only 1/4, that’s a heck of a lot of unwanted jiggling cellulite, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, humiliation and frustration that could be easily preventable if there were a vaccine against these adenoviruses.
I have always been a skinny person, in fact when I was a teenager I was so skinny that I didn’t start to menstruate until I was 17. The same low weight persisted throughout my life and I loved to eat! until 2 years ago when I suddenly jumped from 8 stone 4 lbs to 11 stone in 6 months, my diet and exercise patterns had not changed, I have eaten organic foods for 15 years. I recently had a very heavy cold and didn’t eat solid foods, only drank liquids for a week, I lost 0 ounces, in my previous state of slimness, in the same circumstances I would have dropped half a stone in a week. My friend has also gained weight unexpectedly around the same time as I did and we regularly give each other colds etc as we hang out together a lot. I am deeply suspicious that other factors are at play and more research is needed into the root cause of sudden weight gain. when I visited my GP he simply looked bored and said “its your age” he’s such a comfort when you feel so exhausted and everything aches with the additional weight . It is a comfort to know that there are others who have experienced the same thing, I was beginning to feel like it was just that I was overeating, and therefore my fault, causing food to become my enemy, not something I have enjoyed my whole life. Medical bods, get some reasearch done.
If they aren’t right on this they are going to get sued. Very badly sued.
This story was mocked months before it broke. By essayist and social daredevil Kim Brittingham: http://www.freshyarn.com/42/essays/brittingham_fat1.htm
Looks like we’ve found a cure for world hunger, we just ship a bunch of fat people to third world countries and problem solved!
So maybe my fear of “catching” fatness fom an obese person isn’t crazy after all.
The drug companies will continue to find new ways to sell perscription drugs. this is nothing more than another attempt to keep people buying. – Control.
Diet foods for example do nothing to curb obesity or even over wieght. Most diet foods contain chemicals that make you “feel” hungry. Not to mention the mental tought of “oh it’s diet – I can have another” way of thinking. My inlaws are overwieght, they eat diet foods all there life – none of them have lost wieght – hummm. – Control.
Perscription drugs is a multi-billion dollar a year industry – WAKE UP PEOPLE!!
The federal government has mandated that only a Doctor can Diagnose and treat a disease. If this becomes a disease, say good by to all forms of diet programs not approved by the FDA. – Control.
Aids – there will never be a cure. Why? – Sell more drugs and treatment.
Herpies – there will never be a cure. Why? – Sell more drugs and treatment.
Cancer – there will never be a cure. Why? – Sell more drugs and treatment.
Common cold – there will never be a cure. Why? – Sell more drugs and treatment.
Control.
You can by stock in most “disease” reserch, including cancer and aids – if they find a cure they are out of busness. – Control.
This is nothing more than a cop-out point the finger I don’t want to take the resposibility for my own body. IF by slim chance this is even remotly possible – then we need to quarentien ALL fat people imediatly! And by the way – I am infected with BSD (Bad Speller Disease)
I find all of this very interesting! I went through what the doctors have labeled as Premature ovarian failure when I was just 19. Though the first two years after the onset went by without a hitch, the third was not quite so quiet. Without warning, I started gaining weight and was up 15 lbs in one month! I was in the Military at the time. PE every morning for an hour and of course I had a well balanced diet but was not able to get the weight to come off no matter what I did. I was always a slim/lanky child. After trying every thing including starving myself for a week in which I still managed to gain 3 lbs, I finally went on the controversial Atkins Diet almost a year ago and managed to get myself down to a healthier 127 from 160 and still I find that if I have a moment of weakness in which I eat some bread or have a piece of fruit or anything that contains any carbs or sugar, I immediately gain a pound the following day!! This diet sucks! I use to be able to eat a normal diet, now I cant even enjoy fruit which we all know is good for you. BUT! I highly doubt any of this mumbo jumbo. My take on obesity is, either you are not eating healthy OR you have serious “Push Away Disease.” Some people just cant seem to put down the chicken wing!! I know there are people out there with real medical conditions that cause them to become obese. I recognize those people and give them my sympathies, but a virus?!! OH PLEASE! Quit making up excuses for these people and make them take some responsability for what they put into their mouth! And well you are at it…quit giving them disabled stickers to put in their car and make them walk from the back of the parking lot as well as through the store instead of riding in a motorized chair! After that, quit giving them medicine for every ache and pain they come to the doctors office with which also aids and abets weight gain and make them do some excersise instead. I think most doctors will find that when you stop making excuses for them and start telling them the truth and make them face it, they will finally be forced to face the facts—McDonalds every night or lasagna by the dish full is going to make you gain weight!! And one last thought. Drinking a diet coke with a greasy pizza will not make a bit of difference!
We sat down with psychologist Dr. Cheryl Fraser to get a professional interpretation of this study. It was quite interesting. You can watch the video on our blog:
http://dabbler.pinkandyellow.com/videos/is-obesity-contagious-20070727/
or watch it on MetaCafe:
http://www.metacafe.com/watch/740917/is_obesity_contagious/
Dabbler.ca
this sounds really interesting.
from my own experience, i gained massive amounts of weight (pounds per week) with no obvious cause.
my occupation was manual – landscape gardener – regularly shifting tons of soil, digging etc.
i ate my usual foods but i began putting the weight on.
for a period of 9 months i had bad problems digesting food (for anyone squeamish…the toilet was my friend), and still my weight increased.
eventually, aching, exhausted, and with unrelenting severe, stomach pains, i got diagnosed with chronic fatigue syndrome.
the doctor never took the weight-gain symptom seriously, but it was the first obvious sign of my health problem (whatever this illness really is).
all of this has ended up with me being 6 stone heavier than i used to be, virtually housebound, and extremely frustrated at being unable to follow my old interests – motor-cycling, running, soccer and squash.
i was always ‘skinny’ and very active, i didn’t eat rubbish and i didn’t have the time or inclination to slob about watching tv… what happened???
What ever happened to what researchers called the ‘fat gene’?
From the study the evidence supports the idea that AD-36 is the cause of stem cells tranforming to fat cells and these fat being more “fatty” then usual. The immune system eventually destories the virus, leaving the extra fat cells which do what fat cells do, accumulate fat.
Why do skinny people test positive for AD-36? They may have caught AD-36, but there immune system reacted quickly enough to kill the virus before it could do much harm. They may have had a jump start by having had another in the adenovirus family, that does not promote weight gain. There may be other genetic or environmental contibutors. Follow-up studies would be interesting on these possibilities.
Why do not all fat people test positive for AD-36? There are many reasons for weight gain. Nothing in the study suggests infection is required for weight gain. Only that infection CAN lead to weight gain in SOME people.
That being said, there is no reason anyone should avoid fat people. The weight gain occurs after infectious period. The contrary is more appropiate. Fat people are more likely to have already had and got over the infectious virus. Skinny people with pink eye and respiritory colds are the ones you should avoid.
Obesity may essentially be a symptom of liver toxicity…whether virus or just excessive toxic load, the liver conks out and can no longer metabolize toxins or fats effectively and this leads to obesity…
The Fat Flush Plan by Ann Louis Gittleman
I have a Question. Has anyone ever noticed the Change in a persons Body… after sex. Take two people, one a confirmed bachelor, the other a married man. Brothers. What do they look like at age 40? A for me, I was as skinny as a rail until I was thirty. I married at age 26. I went from a size 32 to a 34 jean. By age thirty I was a size 36. At age 31 I married again and was up to a size 38 in no time. My eating habits were the same and I was working two jobs. By the age of forty I was a size 38-40.
At the same time has anyone ever noticed that it is not until a person marries that the body seems to change? I have heard that the body reacts to the number of people that it is around. The more people that a person is around the more germs the body has to deal with. SO maybe by being married the body’s immune system starts breaking down faster and suffers a form of toxicity and begins to get obese. Well… could that be worth thinking about?
my girl crazy, man!
I am from Germany. A few years ago i tried to mail my parents Vitamins (gnc) because trying to get anything other than Vitamin C (synthetic btw) in Germany is literally impossible.
My Mother said they called them both into the Main Post Office 30 miles from their home (Not even the local one) wanting an answer from them why they had Vitamins coming from the USA.
They were told the sale and distribution of Vitamins in Germany is illegal.
My parents never received those Vitamins.
At first we were all really confused, and mad! Later on it dawned on me, Germany’s main economical income is from chemical and pharmaceutical industries. They dont have the land to farm, just about everything they eat or drink is imported from some other country. They want people to be sick…go to the doctor, get a prescription of some harmful new drug and be sent on their way, only to come back 6 months later with another dilemma.
My Mother has been on high blood pressure medication since the age of 24 ! She is now 65.
What a great read this has been. Food for thought… maybe a big mac or a family sized pizza.
What a great read this has been. Food for thought… maybe a big mac or a family sized pizza.
Too bad psychology has bupkis to do with the study. Go home.