Fat Flu

There’s been a lot of research findings about obesity , but this seems to be the weirdest yet. As reported in the August 2005 ASM News (from the American Society of Microbiology) and the January 2005 International Journal of Obesity, some think that you can get fat by catching the fat flu.
Well, not flu exactly, but a human adenovirus called Ad-36. Most adenoviruses cause cold-like symptoms, but this one seems to also trigger weight gain. Richard Atkinson (president of the American Obesity Association) and others at the University of Wisconson tested obese and non-obese individuals for antibodies against Ad-36. Antibodies serve as evidence of current or past exposure to the virus.

Among the heavier group, roughly one-third had been exposed to the virus, whereas only one-tenth of the skinny folk had. Those who had the antibodies were an average of 50 pounds heavier than those that did not. Coincidence? Three related viruses were found not to differ, on average, between the husky and not.
According to Atkinson , Ad-36 changes fat metabolism so that humans and other animals pack on more pounds while eating the same amount of food. This gain appears to be slow and steady, so if one gets the heads up, he or she could ward off the weight by lifestyle changes. Still, doesn’t seem fair, does it!