The Big Fat Lie

Today I realized that being over weight may not be my fault at all!! You see, I found an article claiming that scientists have perhaps found new evidence that links a common type of viral infection to obesity. This is very exciting.

In a surprising discovery, scientists have found that the human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36) -- one of the major causes of respiratory infections and pinkeye -- may also be a contributing factor to obesity, as it’s been found to transform adult stem cells into fat cells, capable of storing additional fat. Just exactly how the virus does that is not quite explained, but let's go on with what else they think they have found.

These findings were reported to the 234th national meeting and exposition of the American Chemical Society in Boston, Massachusetts, held August 19-23, 2007. You can Google this on the web.

In previous studies, it was discovered by epidemiological researchers that about 30 percent of fat people were infected with the AD - 36 virus. This compared with only about 11 percent of lean people being infected.

Precisely how this virus causes people to become obese is not yet known, but the theory is that a specific gene in the virus (called E4Orfl) may be the indirect cause of some people's obesity. There are a team of researchers now attempting to discover exactly what the factors are that predispose some people infected with this virus to put on extra weight, while other people also infected with the same virus remain skinny. Researchers are hoping that their discoveries may in time lead to a special vaccine or some kind of antiviral medication that will fight obesity.

Well, that is certainly good news. I am fat because of a virus. It has nothing to do with what I have over eaten or my intense lack of exercise. No. Now I can blame it on some unseen virus that MAY be the indirect cause.

Come on folks... What ever happened to responsibility. My guess is that the scientists will waste a whole bunch of time and grant money and come up with the amazing discovery that the obese people ate more than the skinny ones. Really now!! And a corollary discovery will undoubtedly be that slender people get more physical exercise. Yes!!!

This sort of reminds me of a study done by a graduate student using up a major grant to determine how to make tricycles safer. Several tens of thousands of dollars later his recommendation was to add a fourth wheel. That's it. Make the tricycle safer by adding a fourth wheel to stabilize it. Yeah. But then of course it isn't really a tricycle any more is it?

So, I can just relax now realizing that the virus is making me fat.

David A. Youngs