Obesity 'Can Be Caught Like A Cold'

The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 1-31-2006 | Roger Highfield

[blam]

Obesity 'can be caught like a cold'

By Roger Highfield, Science Editor
(Filed: 31/01/2006)

Evidence that obesity could be contagious was published yesterday by American researchers - and washing your hands could be an elementary step to avoiding the virus and becoming overweight.

A team led by Dr Leah Whigham, of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, found that the human adenovirus Ad-37 causes obesity in chickens, marking the third virus to be linked to being overweight: 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.

"We know Ad-36, and now Ad-37, cause obesity in animals," said Dr Whigham, whose findings are reported in the American Journal of Physiology.

"But we do not have cause-and-effect data in humans - you cannot ethically do the experiments for that kind of data: infect humans and see if they get fat."

The notion that viruses can cause obesity has been a contentious one among scientists, she admitted. And yet, there is evidence that factors other than poor diet or lack of exercise may be at work.

"With the exception of infectious diseases, no other chronic disease in history has spread so rapidly," Dr Whigham said.

"The nearly simultaneous increase in obesity in most countries is difficult to explain by changes in food intake and exercise alone, and suggest that adenoviruses could have contributed."

[glock rocks]

I've lost 45 pounds. I don't recommend the method however.

[Beagle8U]

"Obesity 'can be caught like a cold'"

I guess that could be true, If someone sneezed a ham sandwich on you, and you were dumb enough to eat it!

[kenth]

So, you're telling me that chicken soup is NOT the answer.

[qwert]

I have a friend who LOST 155`LBS (He divorced his wife)..

[tubebender]

Bummer... Can I send you a dozen Mikes Chili Cheese Burgers and 10 pounds of Garlic Fries (since 1946)

[DannyTN]

"Obesity can be caught like a cold"

Note to self: Don't kiss fat women!!!

[glock rocks]

Noooooooooooooo.

I've got 20 more to go.

[longtermmemmory]

Just wait the charity fundraising industry will now have telethons, fatness will become part of the ADA.

"Stuffing your piehole" will become a federally mandated RIGHT.

Perhaps we have too many universities if this is what they are studying.

[JasonC]

This is the most absurd thing I've heard in over a year. Thanks for the laugh.

[Fintan]

---

So can gullibility.

---

[Leo Carpathian]

Wait for government programs for the fatso "poor" to go on diets and pay for the gym, and, and....
Women and minoririties hhhhhit hardest!

[goodnesswins]

Nah...I think you catch it from "Welfare."

[SierraWasp]

By George! I think I've caught it!!!

[spectre]

Well, does the Virus stay in the system forever? AND does this mean we have to avoid fat people or not shake hands with them?

I don't believe a word of this article.

sw

[mysterio]

Obesity is contagious? That's great news. We need to make the obese stand at least 30 feet from the entrances of resteraunts. I don't want to be breathing in their secondhand fat.

We could give them their own well ventilated section...

Nah. They can go outside, I think.

[AD from SpringBay]

I hope no fatties stand next to me. It would be like trying to catch a hippo.

[mysterio]

That's why we need to ban being fat in resteraunts and bars. They can go outside if they want to be fat.

[SierraWasp]

Baloney! It's caused by the Internet and computers!! Quiting smoking and indulging one's FR addiction is THE cause!!! (I know whereof I speak!)

I'd walk a mile for a banana split!!! (if only my danged pants wouldn't split)

Now some smartass in the news is talking about diabesity!!!

[<1/1,000,000th%]

From cheeseburgers.

Highly contagious.

[AD from SpringBay]

You might be missing the point. It sounds like they have no choice in the fatness. It was just something they caught. But they should be quarantined, so the disease doesn't spread.