'Fat Virus' to Blame for Obesity?

not all te cases are caused by this virus well it would be good anyway to find the cure at least a lot of people that have the virus would be thin

aghhh... I think I got the "Skinny Virus" 5'8" 125lbs (I guess I got it from working too hard)

Originally posted by Linux
Developing a pill for everything is a crutch, some things need a pill.. weight loss is certainly not one of them, unless you have severe problems. What we really need is a mass 360 degree shift of public attitude towards these "foods". Which is I know.. impossible.

A pill will be developed, and guess what it will not be a crutch as it will probably involved genetic manipulation(or RNA manipulation), which will be permanent. BTW Fat is not unhealthly. You can be fat and fit at the same time ya know The drugs that will probably be coming out for this "condition" will involve all sorts of methods and ways of cutting out the fat. The drug that I would like to see is, a Drug that doesn't make you instantly start to loose weight, but it gradually changes the TYPE of fat you have in your body. The benefits of Brown fat are only now just becoming fully realized. It's been shown to reduce the risks of the following conditions: heart disease, stroke, arthritis, etc etc. I don't want there to be a Weightloss pill per se, I would really like to see a pill that can literally take the place of alot of vitamin and herbal supplements that people seem to enjoy so much noadays(and is yet another unknown being shoved down out collective throughts)

Now all of you might still be thinking Whats the Point? Well the point is these types of Health Drugs can be used on an otherwise healthy person, to possibly extend life. Thats my angle just incase your wondering, and I would love it if there was a weight gain drug out now cuz I a skinny mofo(5'9" 115)

It is possible that a small percentage of obesity is caused by a virus. However, that would comprise a negligable amount compared to other causes. What I dont understand is this- If a virus can cause obesity, then why isnt obesity contagious? You dont see people catching a case of "the fatness". It just seems unlikely to me, although I havnt researched it.

The bottom line is this- Virus or no virus, if you dont eat, you cant get fat. It is physically impossible.

Now, the problem is that in the last 30 or so years, two things have happened. One is that we get less excercise, due to a changing work environment and our non physical extracuricular activities.
The second is that food has become more accessible and less nutritious. 30 years ago, you would have to go out of your way to find a McDonalds. Now they are on every streetcorner, right along side Taco Bell, Burger King, KFC, Wendys and Pizza Hut. Its also hard to choose the grilled chicken sandwich for $3.49 when a double cheeseburger is only 99cents.

Its our culture(and ourselves) that is making us fat, not a virus.



[edit on 21-11-2004 by apw100]

Originally posted by apw100
It is possible that a small percentage of obesity is caused by a virus. However, that would comprise a negligable amount compared to other causes. What I dont understand is this- If a virus can cause obesity, then why isnt obesity contagious? You dont see people catching a case of "the fats".

...Obesity is now epidemic - never was before. ...Most modern diseases result from mutations in the stem cells for connective tissue (and fat is a connective tissue). "Fibroblasts" = connective tissue stem cells. "Myofibroblasts" = mutated fibroblasts. "Lipidoblasts" = one step down from fibroblasts, on the way to becoming a fat cell.

Most of these diseases also take decades to show 'clinical' symptoms - except when they cause genetic mutations, then the symptoms show up earlier in people who are born with it. Which is what's happening.

Something that's infectious but not contagious - in this case means it needs direct cell-cell contact, ie from food, water, surgery, blood transfusion, tissue transplant - but it's not spread "in the air" or by being in contact with infected people.


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