wyjoz
09-22-2006, 11:11 AM
1. Could You Be Infected by the Obesity Bug?
Imagine — one day you are thin and fit. Someone sneezes next to you in the airport or at the office. From then on, you slowly start to gain weight.
As preposterous as it might sound, scientists have recently identified a virus that may contribute to obesity. And for the 30 percent of Americans who fit into that category, this could be big news.
Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana recently announced the results of several tests which prove that the SMAM-1 virus (an "adenovirus" germ commonly associated with upper respiratory infection, diarrhea, and conjunctivitis) may also pre-dispose its victims to weight gain.
Dhurandhar, a physician specializing in obesity from Bombay, India, became intrigued by the idea when his friend, veterinary pathologist Sharad Ajinkya, mentioned that he was studying a surprising case: an epidemic virus that had swept through poultry flocks. The dead birds had a large amount of body mass, yet very low cholesterol readings.
To find an answer to the mystery of how these animals could weigh more yet not be consuming more fat, the two doctors injected a cousin-virus, the AD-36, into mice, chickens, and monkeys. The results were surprising: Fifty percent of the animals infected by the virus gained significant amounts of weight, without changing their diet or activity level.
No on is sure exactly how the virus works. However, it “is highly infectious,” said Dhurandhar, who created the word ‘infectobesity’ to describe the viral spread.
While it is unethical to poison humans with the potential fat-germ, Dhurandbar presented his findings to Dr. Richard Atkinson, the diet guru. Together, they tested the blood levels of obese patients and lean ones.
Last year, Dhurandbar reported the findings. The "obesity gene," SMAM-1, was present in over one third of all overweight people screened. Yet it was present in less than 10 percent of slimmer subjects.
Still, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warns that, although underlying factors may play a role in oneÂ’s weight, diet and activity are also major influences. And people need to understand the health risks associated with obesity.
Their web site states: “People who are obese have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death from all [natural] causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.”
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Imagine — one day you are thin and fit. Someone sneezes next to you in the airport or at the office. From then on, you slowly start to gain weight.
As preposterous as it might sound, scientists have recently identified a virus that may contribute to obesity. And for the 30 percent of Americans who fit into that category, this could be big news.
Dr. Nikhil Dhurandhar and the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana recently announced the results of several tests which prove that the SMAM-1 virus (an "adenovirus" germ commonly associated with upper respiratory infection, diarrhea, and conjunctivitis) may also pre-dispose its victims to weight gain.
Dhurandhar, a physician specializing in obesity from Bombay, India, became intrigued by the idea when his friend, veterinary pathologist Sharad Ajinkya, mentioned that he was studying a surprising case: an epidemic virus that had swept through poultry flocks. The dead birds had a large amount of body mass, yet very low cholesterol readings.
To find an answer to the mystery of how these animals could weigh more yet not be consuming more fat, the two doctors injected a cousin-virus, the AD-36, into mice, chickens, and monkeys. The results were surprising: Fifty percent of the animals infected by the virus gained significant amounts of weight, without changing their diet or activity level.
No on is sure exactly how the virus works. However, it “is highly infectious,” said Dhurandhar, who created the word ‘infectobesity’ to describe the viral spread.
While it is unethical to poison humans with the potential fat-germ, Dhurandbar presented his findings to Dr. Richard Atkinson, the diet guru. Together, they tested the blood levels of obese patients and lean ones.
Last year, Dhurandbar reported the findings. The "obesity gene," SMAM-1, was present in over one third of all overweight people screened. Yet it was present in less than 10 percent of slimmer subjects.
Still, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services warns that, although underlying factors may play a role in oneÂ’s weight, diet and activity are also major influences. And people need to understand the health risks associated with obesity.
Their web site states: “People who are obese have a 50 to 100 percent increased risk of premature death from all [natural] causes, compared to individuals with a healthy weight.”
If this News Alert has been forwarded to you and you would like a subscription, please visit: http://www.newsmax.com/email.shtml
Sign up for NewsMax e-mail alerts today!