Here Today... Gone To Hell!

Viruses May Be Fattening

Scientists find evidence to suggest viral infection may be cause of human obesity.
January 30, 2006

For years, scientists have wondered whether viruses should shoulder some responsibility for the wave of obesity sweeping the planet. On Monday, a U.S. medical journal released a study establishing such a link in chickens.

In all of human history, obesity stands alone among chronic diseases for the rapidity of its spread. In fact, the pattern of its quick rise looks very much like that of an infectious disease epidemic.

Six viruses have already been shown to produce obesity in animals, but University of Wisconsin, Madison scientists have now shown that a human virus can cause obesity in chickens, a strong suggestion that it could make people fat, too.

The findings, which implicated a type of adenovirus, were released by the American Journal of Physiology-Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, which published the study.

?The nearly simultaneous increase in the prevalence of obesity in most countries of the world is difficult to explain by changes in food intake and exercise alone, and suggests that adenoviruses could have contributed,? reads the study.

Potential Vaccine?

With the idea that obesity might be at least in part caused by a virus comes the theoretical potential for a highly lucrative vaccine of great benefit to public health.

About 127 million adults in the United States alone are overweight, with 60 million of these defined as obese, according to the American Obesity Association. The total cost of obesity to the U.S. economy, in 1998 dollars, may have been as much as $78.5 billion, according to the CDC.

The problem also is prevalent in the developing world, where obesity is frequently found alongside starvation. Worldwide there are more than 1 billion overweight adults, of whom at least 300 million of them are obese, according to the World Health Organization.

?There has been an alarming worldwide increase in the prevalence of obesity in the past 30 years,? said Richard L. Atkinson, Professor of Medicine and Nutritional Sciences at the University of Wisconsin.
 
The prevalence of obesity increased by 30 percent between 1980 and 1990, and by 61 percent between 1990 and 2000.

?This increase is the type of pattern that might occur with a new infectious disease, as has been seen with the AIDS virus,? Dr. Atkinson added.

Chicken Fat

In the study, scientists inoculated three-week-old chickens with three types of human adenovirus. They found that a virus called Ad-37 caused obesity in chickens even though the birds did not eat more.

Another adenovirus, Ad-36, has been linked to obesity in chickens, mice, and primates, and blood samples from obese people show they are much more likely than slim people to carry antibodies for the virus.

?When human twins are discordant for antibodies to Ad-36 antibodies, the antibody-positive twin has a higher body mass index,? reads the journal?s editorial.

The scientists warn that much more research is required in the field, and suggest the ?daunting task? of testing all 50-odd human adenoviruses for their role in obesity would be the first step toward developing a vaccine.
 

Here is an upclose picture of the virus under a microscope:


(http://img236.imageshack.us/img236/3600/twinkie070302big8py.jpg) (http://imageshack.us)

Typical of a U.S study to blame viruses. Did the viruses have any WMD?
Here's the real cause of obesity:

(http://www.bdgift.com/pp/fastfood/b_chicken_big_mac.jpg)

You are on a roll tonight!

How much would an American pay for that? Just curious.

Usually 1-2 heart attacks.

If it's really good.........a stroke.

Im a Canadian so I cant speak on the behalf of American currency, but over here a burger like that in a fast food restaurant would range anywhere from $4.75 - $7.50, and in a sit down, nice restaurant, a double burger could go as high as $10/$11 probably.

It aint cheap to eat out anymore ;)

Over here, we would be lucky to get a properly cooked burger. Regular sized will cost you ?1.50 or so.

Well I can tell that here you can eat the same thing for $1,50 include a sprite  ;)

I wouldn't pay anything for that in Canada - the beef there is nowhere near as good as in the US. :no:

find me a cure please
(http://forums.gigantour.com/images/smilies/spankass.gif)

No shit eh?

McDonalds boasts about "100% Pure Canadian Beef" but guess what, thats the meat company's trademarked title, not the McDonalds promise/commitment :-\

How is Canadian beef different than US beef?  Are they fed differently?

Anybody ever tried buffalo?  I think its 100 times better than beef, and better for you too. 

I don't know - they don't have to go thru the same strict approval there as in the US.  All I know is that it taste awful and isn't even the same color or texture.  My kids would eat a cheeseburger every single day if you let them and after one bite, they refused to finish it.    When we go to Canada, we live on chicken and salads.  ;D

Oh, I also don't eat whatever that is at McDonalds that they call beef either.

I don't know much, but I hear that they say "'eh" more then the American cows............

*cough*  They say that "100% Pure Australian Beef" thing over here aswell.  But it tastes like crap.  I hate macdonalds!!

People here are vey fat cause they eat only fast food (junk food I'd say) but its very disgusting Mcdonnalds beef  :no: