It never ceases to amaze me how the media is so quick to jump on any study that has the slightest ring of “sensational orcontroversial news” written all over it, or how quickly the publicaccepts media reports at face value without further investigation. Case in point: Look at how much national publicity was given this week to something as esoteric as an in vitro study about an obesity virus…
Obesity viruses are not new news, as there have been 10 adipogenic pathogensreported in the scientific literature in the past two decades, includinghuman and animal viruses, bacteria, and gut microflora.
In this case, adenovirus-36 (AD-36) was named as a potential culprit.
So far however, the theory of viruses causing human obesity iscontroversial and unproven, and the research has only been conducted in cell cultures andin chickens, rhesus monkeys, hamsters and rats.
Although antibodies have been found in some humans who volunteered for a screening, there is no causative evidencewhatsoever, and we may never get such evidence because there are ethicalconsiderations in infecting humans with a virus (thus the cell culture andanimal research).
Human beings are very complex organisms and collections of complex systemswhich interact with one another, so research on cells in a dish does not provecause and effect in humans. Rodent research is also often irrelevant to humans.
These types of studies only suggest an association, they allow scientists to form new hypotheses and provide insight on areas for potentialfuture research about “such a possibility in humans.”
An interesting twist to this story that not many people know about is that some of the virus research was supported by thecorporation that owns the patents on and markets assays to detectthe “infection” and is working to develop the vaccine.
Wouldn’t it be “convenient” to convince the public that a virus is responsible for obesity? They’d be lining their pockets at the same time as they convinced everyone that “it wasn’t their fault.”
Coincidentally, one of the stories publishedby a major news web site was not their own investigative reporting, but came straight from a press release from the aformentioned corporation.
If an obesity virus (aka “infectobesity”) ever turnsout to amount to anything in humans, it will most likely be a very smallminority of cases, similar to the tiny percentage of cases where there isactually a gene defect which causes obesity.
Infectious pathogens are not the reason so many people are overweight,although it gives people yet another reason to blametheir condition on something other than themselves.
Viruses (as with genetics) could indeed explain a rare case, so they should not be completely ruled out, but they certainly don’texplain the increases in obesity over last several decades.
Fat loss always did and always will boil down to calories in versus caloriesout… and the acceptance of personal responsibility necesary to make surethat the calorie balance equation is obeyed consistently.
You can learn more about the law of calorie balance and the fat loss truth in Burn The Fat, Feed The Muscle.
Tom Venuto, CSCS, NSCA-CPT
www.BurnTheFat.com
www.BurnTheFatInnerCircle.com
PS Coincidentally, this “obesity virus” report comes on the tails of an even more publicized story last month about obesity being “contagious” (socially contagious and biologically infectious are not the same, but easily confused)
This was based on a New England Journal Of Medcine article written by Harvard researchers who suggested that obesity spreads through social networks. This study had had nothing to do with viruses, but with the spread of obesity through social networks.
My complete write up of this important study, and it’s implications is available at the Burn The Fat members-only site. It is one of many researchreports available as part of our Burn The Fat community. You can learn more,take a tour, and see free samples at:
http://www.burnthefatinnercircle.com/members/339.cfm
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Beyond ridiculous. Proof positive that the BS doctors the newstations have as commentators don’t have a clue about biochemistry. There is no longer a village idiot, but a village of idiots, degreed and otherwise.Good that you jumped on this right away.——Mr. P.V.’d
Anything at all that they can come up with on which to blame the epidemic of obesity in this country will make obese people able to justify their condition. Our food industry is largely to blame as well as people’s eating habits, lack of exercise and lack of motivation. Our health costs would plummet if obesity was not at the epidemic proportions that it is.Keep up the fight!!Jeannette
Are you suggesting that we need to take personal responsibilty for our actions….SHOCK!!! But it’s so much kinder and gentler to pat someone on the hand and say, “it’s not your fault you’re obsese…that darn virus must have infected you.” Never mind the gallon of ice cream, the dozen donuts and the boxes of cookies that were consumed for breakfast.The media also glosses over the fact that if infact you are fat now because of this virus, there is no “cure”. This is all about a vaccination to “prevent” obsity. Can you imagine the ramifications? The people getting the vaccination might believe that they have free license to eat what ever when ever and not get fat. Then the scientists will be scratching their heads wondering why the rate of obsity is STILL on the rise. Oooooh, more grant money!How many steps of denial do obese people have to go through before they finally accept the fact that clean eating and daily movement is needed to be healthy? The mainstream media is not going to report something as mundane as that. Hype sells…unfortunately.
“Fat is a Disease” therefore it has to have an ICD9 NUMBER then the drug company’s & FDA gets into your pocket legally.Millions of Americans are fat sooo… “follow the thought” there’s lots of $$$$ to be made… Remember ICD9 CODES ONCE ACCEPTED Dr’s can and will sell you DRUG’s and their time for CASH, INS, MEDICARE! ……F O L L O W The M O N E Y!Gene
Perhaps these same scientists will be able to isolate the “stoopid” virus that is infecting so much of the world.
This is nothing more than a potential money grab by corporate America, particularly the pharmaceutical companies. They have to disguise something as a disease so they can push their medications onto the general public. It’s all about keeping the shareholders happy. It’s all about the money!Frank Muhr
And what a cash cow it would be to have a vaccine for a virus…everyone knows that viruses keep mutating, and that you would have to get a new vaccine every year or so…..And guess who gets to pay for all these stupid vaccines in the long run…..with increased insurance premiums!!!!!!Even if, and that is a BIG if, viruses cause obesity, most viruses cannot gain the upper hand and cause disease in a body unless the immune system has been compromised. You know, like when people don’t eat right and don’t exercise.You know you don’t get enough greens, right? It is hard to eat enough of those wonderful, incredibly low-cal powerhouses. Try them blended in a whole-fruit smoothie, gradually increasing the amount of green. You’ll need a Vitamix or similar blender to get the goodies out, but what a difference you will feel, and your immune system will go to the next level.Pure, naturally processed coconut oil has been shown to decrease the duration of illness in people with Epstein Barr/mono, and to increase good cell counts in people who are HIV+ (basically, it goes after any protein-encapsulated virus with ease). Some people who use it regularly report that they go for a whole year without a cold, for the first time ever. Adenoviruses are associated with “the common cold.”It’s effective against bacteria and fungi, too.And good for the thyroid. And good for the heart, even, as long as no one hydrogenated it. And it prefers to burn as energy, as opposed to being stored as fat. And it seems to have a stabilizing effect on blood sugar. And there are a lot more benefits to using this genuinely good stuff.Food, healthy food, is our best ally against disease. When you plan your diet and consider the best way to incorporate your healthy fats, consider some high quality coconut oil for cooking (it is tremendously heat-stable) and use the highest quality cold-pressed olive oils and flax oils and avocados, etc., for salads and toppings. You’ll ward off unwelcome microbial invaders and enjoy other health benefits.
Are People that dumb????? There is one virus and I call it “not enough exercise and stop stuffing your Face Virus.”People need to learn what it takes for your body to function properly with the right nutrition and exercise. A VIRUS IS JUST another Dumb excuse for the obesity problem in this country and in other countries.Lets face facts people are fat because of three reason . they have not read Tom Ventuo Burn the fat, two, they are always blaming something or someone, Like I did, or they do not know what to do or what to eat or how to exercise .THERE IS NOT SUCH THING AS INFECTOBESITY
I got to laugh though because the moment I seen this in the paper the first thought I had was “Wait till Tom Venuto hears about this”. Then I rationally came to several of my own conclusions as well.First off it is a Virus, they also claim it is a virus that causes us to have the common cold. There is no cure for the common cold because it is a virus. Viruses have stumped us for years to find cures for, there is no cure for the cold. Sure you can ease symptoms of a cold but your body is what eventually fights it off. Basically it takes your body to work and time to burn off the virus, the same as it take time and work to burn off fat. I will never understand this mentality in people. I myself have lost 60 lbs weight wise however 80 lbs of fat and gained 20 lbs of lean muscle, I got about 20 to 30 more pounds to go to put me at a nice 10-12% BF level, I will know more next time I get my body fat tested. It took me about a year to burn it off, actually 1 full year this labor day. But then again I didn’t gain all that in a year, that was several years of fat on my body really. People never look at it like that. They didn’t all of a sudden catch a virus and wake up a few days later overweight and out of shape. They got that way over time. Even if there was a cure for the virus, well they still have to loose that fat it is not just going to miraculously disappear once the virus is killed of.
well,surprise,surprise (NOT!!) it is a virus that causes us to be fat!!. Adipose cells splitting and doubling..and as othhers in this queue of comments have said: Follow the (potential) money trail.. Oh yes, a “vaccine” would probably be developed. I wonder if it’s carrier will be Thymersol (same as used in children’t vaccines,and is mercury based and lijnked to autism in kids…Hmmm…
Why don’t we just call it “I’m a lazy fat ass” virus? People slay me. I’m kind of having a hard time wrapping my mind around all of this, and I’m a smart guy. What they’re saying (and I’ll break this down for the morons who are trying to push this virus thing) is that the woman who weighs three hundred pounds at 5 ft. 4 in. is infected with a virus that is causing her to be fat. Cast aside twenty years of donuts and cakes, Pepsi colas and coffee, blame the virus. Cast aside the fact that the 37% body fat man hasn’t exercised since side burns and Thunderbirds were all the rage, blame the virus. Cast aside McDonalds, Krispy Kreme, High Fructose Corn Syrup, and sedentary jobs, blame the damn virus.I feel like throwing these “scientists” out of a window. If I wasn’t a Christian, I’d have a few words for these lying peices of crap.
Yes, it was a virus!!!!! A virus that only exists in America!!!!Good one. Blame it on the virus, in the meantime, do not exercise, eat burgers and drink lots of carbonated sodas and never ever take a walk.Yeah and continue to modify food so that a garlic has the size of a melon! Why don’t we have this viruses in Southern Europe?
I think this virus is not contagious, only thing that is contagious is good food! Food tastes good with a little fat on, should it be good fat or bad, it still tastes good. The only way to loose weight is to eat very little! WHen I was in California this year I ate at all the local places like IHP, etc, but that didnt force me to eat more. The portion sizes were enough to feed all four of us! Its time we start to eat to live and not live to eat!! One plate of the food we had at any breakfast place would feed me for two days solid! Maybe three!
Like Tom said, reasons outside the simple math of calories (in VS out) are rare.I find it interesting when an obese person claims the don’t eat much. Compared to what? The thin people they know who also happen to workout regularily? It’s all relative.If you ‘don’t eat much’ and you don’t have some rare medical condition and you’re still obese then you OBVIOUSLY are not active enough for what you do eat.People need to be more accountable for both sides of the equation.
I would beleive that the idea of a genetic disorder or condition might be linked to extreme cases of obesity such as obesity passed down from generation to generation. However I find it quite foolish that they would go near the idea that obesity is “Infectious” through a “virus”. It just gives some people another reason to stop trying becaus their “infected” and others to run to the next “best thing” against obesity that ends up being another deceiving attempt to lose or maintain weight.
This just in……study shows the obeisty virus can be beat naturaly through diet and excersise without the use prescripition medications or injections. Those trying this alternative method of treatment report feeling and looking better. Many report side effects to this alternative treatment such as having higher self esteem, being more confident, and turning heads in public.
TIM,Briliant!tom
” “Fat is a Disease” therefore it has to have an ICD9 NUMBER then the drug company’s & FDA gets into your pocket legally…””Fat” does in fact have several ICD-9 numbers. The most commonly used is 278.0: Exogenous Obesity.My concern is for the children. As a pediatrician with 27 years experience i have seen a huge increase in childhood obesity over the years; today it is at epidemic proportions. As adults we can take responsibility for our actions. Assuming no other physical/medical issues that preclude proper diet and exercise we can achieve a healthy BMI. However, with children it is much more difficult. We are dealing with a growing, developing organism with different nutritional and psychological needs. It is doubtful that BFFM, if it could be achieved, would work in a child or if it would be medically advisable.This increase in obesity is certainly not due to any virus. The cause is almost certainly multifactorial. i personally think that social and cultural factors are to blame: shorter school days and less/no mandatory physical education, loss of after school sport programs, computers/video games and powered toys replacing physical activity toys (does a 3 y/o really need a motorized car? what happened to tricycles?), and of course calories-on-every-corner fast food replacing home cooked meals.This is really unfortunate because it may turn out that our population at the end of the 21th century is actually LESS healthy that it was at the end of the 20th.