The virus works by encouraging your body's cells to take in more fat from glucose and to make fat from your blood sugar IT turns out you could CATCH obesity. It might sound a little far-fetched, almost like an excuse to let your weight spiral out of control, but there is some truth to the theory. A virus responsible for the common cold could be responsible for making us fat, research suggests It stems from a virus called adenovirus-36, a common cold bug that is easily passed on through coughing and sneezing. Sounds harmless enough, right? But studies have found that those infected with the virus tend to put on more weight than those who don't have the bug. It works by encouraging your body's cells to take in more fat from glucose and to make fat from your blood sugar. The virus also encourage stem cells in the fat tissue to turn into fat cells, so you end up with more fat in your body. The virus infects the body's cells and encourages them to turn more sugar into fat A new study has found that the virus is more often found in people who are obese than in those of a healthier weight, according to New Scientist. But what is that in numbers? According to Obesity Action, at least one third of people affected by obesity have been infected with the virus. Researchers from around the globe have been looking into the link between the virus and expanding waistlines for decades. About 27 per cent of the UK population is now considered obese Experts from the University of Wisconsin began experimenting with it in 1995 and found that when they experimentally infected chickens and mice, the animals increased their body fat by 50 to 150 percent. About 60 to 70 per cent of the mice became obese compared to the uninfected animals. They also tested the theory on monkeys and 100 per cent of them gained weight. A second experiment took blood samples from a group of monkeys every six months for seven years. They weren't deliberately infected with the virus but during the trial 15 of them became naturally infected with the bug. As soon as they tested positive for adenovirus-36 they started to gain weight. One of the most noteworthy observations from the studies was that infected animals did not eat more than uninfected animals. Nor did they do less exercise, yet they still all gained weight. heart disease, commonly caused by obesity, is one of the leading caused of death world wide Other studies have tested the theory on people, with experts taking blood samples from both people of a healthy weight and those who were obese. More than 500 people were tested in different states of America. Some 30 per cent of those considered obese tested positive for the virus, compared to just 11 per cent who were a healthy weight. Further human testing has found that an average of 40 per cent of obese people carry the virus. So can you catch obesity from someone who is fat? For now, there is no cure for the virus and eating a healthy, balanced diet remains the best way to stave off obesity The answer is it's highly unlikely. It is possible to catch the virus from someone who is infected by it, whether that be an obese person or someone of a normal weight, but the changes it makes to your metabolism is so small it will take a while for you to start gaining weight. If you are infected, the bad news is there's not much you can do about it at this stage as there are no specific treatments for the virus. All you can do, as you should be doing already, is following a healthy, balanced diet with an exercise routine. Obesity levels in the UK have more than trebled in the last 30 years and, on current estimates, more than half the population could be obese by 2050, according to the NHS. About 27 per cent of the UK population is considered obese and a further 34 per cent are considered overweight, according to the latest Government statistics. In 2015 pharmacies in England dispensed just under half a million products for treating obesity at a cost of £13.9 million. In the same year more than 6,000 people underwent obesity ops like gastric bypasses stomach stapling and gastric band maintenance in England. According to the World Health Organisation heart disease was the biggest killer in 2015 followed by stroke, both of which were responsible for 15 million deaths worldwide. Source
