Childhood obesity is not only an epidemic, it may be an infectious disease transmitted by a common cold virus, a new study suggests.

Children exposed to adenovirus-36 were more likely to be obese than were children who had no evidence of infection, according to a study published online Sept. 20 in Pediatrics. The new study is the latest to link the virus to obesity in people. Recent studies of Korean children and both American and Italian adults have shown that obese people are more likely to have antibodies against the virus -- a sign of a prior infection -- than normal-weight people are.

Adenoviruses are some of the many viruses responsible for causing colds and stomach ailments in people.

Les mer her: http://news.discovery.com/human/virus-childhood-obesity.html

Hm, interessant. Rart, men interresant.

Experiments on human cells in laboratory dishes explain how the virus promotes weight gain -- adult stem cells infected with the virus make more fat cells, and those fat cells store more fat.
Hvis denne her faktisk stemmer, så kan det jo hende at det er noe i det. Men det må vel være noe annet på ferde også? Fettceller lagrer ikke fett av seg selv. Men kanskje viruset senker insulinfølsomheten?

Det står dessverre ingenting om forskerne har kontrollert for sosial status/inntektsnivå. Folk med lavere inntekt er mer syke enn andre i utgangspunktet - og også mer overvektige. men definitivt et interessant funn.