The Fat Virus: Fact or Fiction
Can You Catch Obesity Like a Common Cold?
The extra doughnut you ate this morning might not be to blame for those extra pounds you're carrying. The culprit may be a virus. New evidence shows that it's possible to gain weight the same way you catch a common cold.
Can a virus make me fat?
It's possible. Scientists have long known that viruses can cause obesity in animals such as chickens, dogs and monkeys. Now, they think they're hot on the trail of one that causes obesity in humans. Studies on the adenovirus 36 (AD-36), a pesky microbe responsible for respiratory and eye infections, is thought to be the most likely candidate.
How can a virus cause weight gain?
The mechanism by which AD-36 and other possible fat bugs work isn't fully understood but recent studies have demonstrated that they're capable of transforming stem cells into fat cells with a Herculean ability for gathering and storing body fat. The virus may also trigger immature fat cells to multiply more quickly than normal and signal metabolism to put on the brakes so that the body burns calories more slowly.
How would I catch this virus?
Like any other virus, AD-36 could potentially be transmitted through sneezes, coughs or direct contact. Nikhil Dhurandhar, Ph.D., an associate professor at Louisiana State University's Pennington Biomedical Research Center thinks this might be one explanation for how human obesity has spread so quickly across the globe. However, he points out our understanding of these viruses is still quite limited. There isn't much evidence that edging away from the portly person in the elevator if he sneezes in your direction will help you avoid coming down with a case of fatness.
How can I find out if I have the "fat flu"?
Currently there's no test available. In the lab, researchers determine whether or not someone has been infected with AD-36 by scanning their blood for antibodies. Antibodies are a sort of biological footprint left behind by viruses when they invade the body and AD-36 is no exception. Dhurandhar conducted an investigation where 30 percent of obese subjects tested positive for the AD-36 antibodies compared to only 5 percent of normal weight individuals. Even when other factors such as lifestyle, genetics and family history were accounted for, the AD-36 positive subjects were among the most obese.
Isn't weight gain often caused by overeating and not enough exercise?
"For some reason people get stuck on the idea that you need to push yourself away from the table to lose weight," he says. It ruffles Dhrandhar's feathers when people make comments about overweight people simply needing more willpower. "With the entire world in the mist of an obesity epidemic, no one has definitively shown it is due to overeating and nothing else."
Is there a cure?
Despite the fact that he's not convinced that being overweight is clearly linked to overindulgence, Dhurandhar does acknowledge that it will be years before a fat vaccine may be developed. It would be an alternative to anyone with extra pounds to have a choice other than to watch what they eat and engage in regular exercise to help burn off excess calories. "We may have better treatments some day, or even a cure, but right now these are the best [treatments] we've got," he says.
