Comments on: Catching Obesity

By: Ginna Dorkin

Ginna Dorkin — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 11:56:32 +0000

Obesity is the second leading cause of death. Numerous health problems are related to it. One should always involve doctor when making radical lifestyle changes, particularly when changing your diet or beginning an exercise program. It’s important to remember that our weight should be lost gradually. Don’t expect miracles overnight like some fad diets promise. Obesity can be control, visit here to know how http://www.empowereddoctor.com/weight-loss

By: David Bradley

David Bradley — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:41:44 +0000

Yes, you do seem to have strong opinions Kelsey, and they’re most welcome in the comments section on my blog.

However, I wasn’t personally claiming that a virus is behind obesity, I was reporting on research results that suggest that might be the case in making some people more susceptible to accumulating fat tissue. Yes, “calories in-calories out” is obviously the overarching factor, but couple a virally induced susceptibility to fat accumulation with a leptin (appetite) hormone problem and you may have a recipe for serious weight issues. Oh, and what about those people who have both of those problems and are also debilitated physically in some way and so unable to exercise.

It’s all very well for the fit and slim to criticize those with overweight problems, but it’s not necessarily a problem of sheer laziness or greed, and it certainly doesn’t address the problem.

By: kelsey smith

kelsey smith — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:23:44 +0000

okay, and as another comment, i apologise for my informal language but i’m 15 and am researching new theories for science homework
i have strong opinions & so wrote that.
i understand that the main people reading & commenting this article are well justified on their opinions, probably being older.. more educated i suppose.
xo

By: kelsey smith

kelsey smith — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 17:21:32 +0000

rubbish
you seriously think cos some lazy people become obese theres a virus behind it?
nahh, some have medical reasons yes thats true
but most peoples obesity is down to their own decisions and the way they live their lives.
xo

By: David Bradley

David Bradley — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 13:54:22 +0000

Yes, if a mechanism could be revealed that could be very useful. Thanks for spotting that badly edited sentence re antivirals, it was inadvertent.

By: Vincent Racaniello

Vincent Racaniello — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 12:39:25 +0000

I’ve looked at the papers on this issue, and there is no doubt that AD36 is adipogenic in cell culture, and in certain animals can cause weight gain. What needs to be done is to identify the mechanism by which the virus induces the adipogenic program. If it’s real, then a mechanism will be identified and can be used to test the model in animals. If this work is fruitful, then we need a comprehensive epi study to determine association with infection. If cellular targets of AD36 are identified then these should be examined in people as well (eg for polys associated with disease).

One nit-pick, David, please reserve the use of ‘antibiotics’ for bacteria. For viruses, use the term ‘antiviral’. As you know antiviral can be highly effective. Your sentence “Viral infections do not succumb to antibiotics anyway, (in fact bacteria often don’t either), so an antiviral diet pill is unlikely” is a bit confusing as a result (not to me, to the general public).

By: marina gorbis

marina gorbis — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 07:25:25 +0000

obesity is infectious? http://tinyurl.com/dc5u5n

By: David Bradley

David Bradley — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:32:17 +0000

Indeed, that’s exactly what the Horizon producers demonstrated with a group of young people. They tried to fatten them all up over the course of four weeks by doubling their calorie intake and precluding exercise. They were all fairly slim to start with and none of them got particularly fat, they all reverted to “type” within a couple of weeks of the “experiment” ending.

By: David Bradley

David Bradley — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 16:29:06 +0000

The news on this claimed he was seeing 30% infection in overweight individuals tested, but on BBC Horizon he said 20%, so it’s not even as strong a correlation as the original hyperbole over the last 10 years has had it.

By: Joanne

Joanne — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:50:58 +0000

Well, their model of 3T3-L1s is sort of cheating. These cells have been modified to be able to take up and hold lipid quite easily (meaning we only need to add two inducers to culture, along with insulin and lipids), all other cell lines need much more management . Are the cells in the body the same as the 3T3-L1s or the more finicky cell lines? Basically, until we understand the native cells, an in vivo model, this is not for sure, but we all need to start somewhere.