This is actually slightly old news – we’ve written about it a few times in the blog before – but scientists are claiming that you may be able to catch obesity like a cold and have received a massive amount of publicity after a star turn on the BBC program Horizon, shown yesterday night. The scientists claim that there is a highly infectious virus named adenovirus, which attacks tissue and causes fat cells to multiply, causing weight gain. The virus can apparently be spread through coughs or unwashed hands.
The researchers at the Pennington Biomedical Research Company in the U.S found that those animals infected with the virus gained weight faster, even though they were eating the same amount as the healthy animals. Investigations into humans suggest that almost a third of obese adults carry the virus, compared to 11% of healthy individuals who do.
Professor Dhurandar, who led the study claimed that the virus “... goes to the lungs and spreads throughout the body. It goes to various organs and tissues such as the liver, kidney, brain and fat tissue”. He also said that people could remain infected for up to three months and experience the effects long after their cough or cold has disappeared.
Various obesity charities have repudiated the theory that the virus might be partly responsible for the UK’s obesity epidemic. Dr Ian Campbell, director of the charity Weight Concern, pointed out that over time our eating habits had undergone a massive change that a virus could not be responsible for, blaming “commercial expansion of companies making unhealthy foods”.
Professor Dhurandhar hopes that a vaccine for the virus might be ready for testing within the next five or ten years but reminded viewers that fat may have many other causes, making it pointless to try and avoid infection.
When I was watching the programme I just thought, hang on, this is a bit strange. Nobody at my gym seems to have this virus, nor do the people that I see running round the park in the morning but then up the road at McDonalds there seems to be an epidemic...
If you missed yesterdays’ Horizon, titled “Why are thin people fat?” you can watch it again on IPlayer (http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00hbsk2/b00hbnv5/Horizon_Why_Are_Thin_People_Not_Fat/ )