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Author: Jenn
Date: 08-12-04 11:24
This was an article on aol.... im trying to find more info.... not because i think that this may be relavent to myself.... but because i find the theory interesting.... any thoughts???
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Feeling pudgy? It might be a viral infection. According to a study published in the International Journal of Obesity, adenovirus-36 (Ad-36), a common virus that causes coldlike symptoms, could be one cause of obesity. Scientists at Wayne State University in Detroit found that injecting animals with Ad-36 caused them to more than double their body fat.
In a separate study, 30 percent of obese men and women examined had been exposed to the virus--compared with just 5 percent of normal-weight people. "The number is high enough to suggest that Ad-36 is at least partially associated with obesity," says Nikhil Dhurandhar, Ph.D., the study leader.
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Jenn
319 / 289 / 250 / 140
Feb 2004/Aug 2004/New Years 2005 /Ultimate!
I am Microsoft of Borg. Resistance izkx GPF 0x5654 8820 Application RESIST.EXE has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
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Author: Jenn
Date: 08-12-04 11:28
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Catching Fat? (Top)
Could obesity be an infectious disease that is spread by coughing or sneezing like influenza or tuberculosis? Until now, most health experts would have dismissed this suggestion as ridiculous or far-fetched. According to conventional wisdom, people gain fat when they eat more calories than they expend. However, the results of four animal studies conducted by a group of scientists at Wayne State University suggest that some cases of obesity may indeed be triggered by viral infections. In one experiment, the researchers exposed a group of chickens to human adenovirus-36 (Ad-36). After a period of time, the scientists measured the animals' percentages of carcass fat. The chickens exposed to the virus gained more fat than chickens in the control group. Prior research had shown that laboratory animals deposit more fat after being infected with certain animal viruses, but this study is the first to show that a human virus is associated with obesity in animal models.
The results of these experiments do not prove that Ad-36 or other viruses trigger obesity in humans. They have, however, raised the intriguing possibility that some cases of human obesity might be the result of an immune system response to a viral infection that that affects fat cell function. Clearly, more studies are needed to replicate these findings. If a link between human obesity and specific viral infections is established, scientists could strive to develop vaccines that prevent the infections. For more information on this study, see Morris, K. (2000). "Infectious-fat" hypothesis gains weight. Lancet,356: 489. To learn more about factors that influence the development obesity, read pages 232 to 235 of your textbook.
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Jenn
319 / 289 / 250 / 140
Feb 2004/Aug 2004/New Years 2005 /Ultimate!
I am Microsoft of Borg. Resistance izkx GPF 0x5654 8820 Application RESIST.EXE has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
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Author: miranda
Date: 08-12-04 11:36
The big question I have is did the scientists monitor how much the animals ate? I could possibly believe that a virus could increase your appetite, causing you to develop more body fat, but I have a real hard time seeing what physiological mechanism could cause an animal to gain body fat with increasing the calories it consumes.
Interesting post.
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miranda
230/169.5/145
"I don't need to compromise my principles, because they don't have the slightest bearing on what happens to me anyway."--Bill Watterson, "Calvin and Hobbes"
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Author: Jenn
Date: 08-12-04 11:40
i dunno.... im finding it hard to find much more than what i already posted.... its.... ummm frusterating....
it seems hard to find ACTUAL information on anything!!!!
Jenn
319 / 289 / 250 / 140
Feb 2004/Aug 2004/New Years 2005 /Ultimate!
I am Microsoft of Borg. Resistance izkx GPF 0x5654 8820 Application RESIST.EXE has performed an illegal operation and will be shut down.
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Author: Luna
Date: 08-12-04 17:07
Physiologically, I suppose it may be possible. I mean, cell function is really complex.... and scientists still don't understand normal function properly, let alone abnormal function. Still, I'd be curious to know about food intake as well, given that the idea does seem a bit "out there". Just my two cents worth.
Cheers,
Luna :))
'Ichi Gon, Ni Soku, San Tan, Chi Riku' -- Higashi Sensei
'Be the water.' -- Bruce Lee
height: 5'5"
Goal: BsC w/ Hon. Major in Biology & My Shodan (black belt)
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