Too fat? Blame it on a Virus!

The virus adenovirus-36 or Ad-36

Today I read this bit of news. There is actually a reason for people who are overweight and those who are obese, it's a virus! The virus adenovirus-36 or Ad-36 as it's commonly known as [so common I didn't know it!]

The tests were done in a laboratory on animals who got really fat when exposed to the virus. Nikhil Dhurandhar, an Associate Professor and the doctor who lead the study, Dr. Magdalena Pasarica, also did the study on humans who had had liposuction, by using their stem cells and exposing it to the virus for a week, while some were left untouched. The cells that were exposed to the virus turned into fat cells, while nothing happened to the unexposed cells.

While they admitted that someone being obese is due to overeating, they said that the virus also plays a part and they plan on developing a vaccine for it.

I can certainly hear the cash machine and see the info commercials!

I'm not sure what to make of this discovery. While genes do play a role in a persons' physical make up and their tendency to be fat or skinny, I find it hard to believe that a virus would play such a major role. I know there are people out there who do exercise and diet, etc., and never lose any weight. But one has to wonder if they are really doing every thing and being as strict as they possible can with themselves.

For me, being overweight, partly because of genes, but mostly due to my laziness to get myself in gear since having my last child, I would not say that a virus is the reason why I still carry around those extra pounds. I think the mental well-being of an individual would be why they are overweight or obese. That would be my findings, but then again, I am no doctor or professor!

Speaking for myself, when I get stressed, and overly worried, I have a tendency to put my workout on the back burner and I also tend to eat comfort foods and anything that will make me feel happy, knowing that it's bad for me! I'm sure many people find themselves doing the same thing. There was a time when I used food as a crutch emotionally and it's been a hard habit to break but a battle I'm winning slowly but surely.

The thing is you have to be determined to change a lifetime of bad habits and a lifestyle that has become too comfortable with doing all the wrong things. That's why I suggested that an individual's mental state is what they should be looking into and not using the poor animals to test some virus or even using stem cells from people who had liposuction! This will definitely be on my reader-dar to see and hear about further developments.

The entire article written by Julie Steenhuysen here: Link

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