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Wow, we knew it would happen eventually, link obeisity to a disease and then let the pharmacuetical companies reap the $$$.
For $100, you can get your blood tested to find out if you have it!
http://www.obesityvirus.com/research.asp
http://www.obesityvirus.com/ordertestkit.asp
While working on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, the founders of Obetech, LLC, discovered that a virus called adenovirus-36 (Ad-36), a type of common human virus, produced obesity in animals. Monkeys, mice, and chickens all gain weight when infected with the virus. Another surprising finding was that blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) went down instead of up when the animals gained weight.
Recognizing the implications of these findings, Dr. Richard Atkinson, founder of Obetech, began to investigate how the Ad-36 virus affected humans. Understandably, humans can not be intentionally infected with the virus for research purposes; however, those who have already been exposed will have antibodies to the virus in their bloodstream. These antibodies allow researchers to identify individuals who have been infected with the Ad-36 virus, and evaluate how it has affected their weight and blood fats.
Dr. Atkinson and his colleagues tested over 500 humans and found that about 30% of obese people have antibodies to Ad-36, but only about 10% of non-obese people have antibodies. People who have Ad-36 antibodies average more than 50 lb heavier and have much lower amounts of blood cholesterol and triglycerides than those without antibodies. The Obetech scientists also tested 26 twin pairs where one twin had Ad-36 antibodies and one twin did not. The infected twins weighed more and had a higher body fat than did the non-infected twins. Since twins are usually very much alike, this provides strong additional evidence that the Ad-36 virus produces obesity in humans.
The mechanism by which Ad-36 causes obesity is not known, but research has found that the virus genetic material (DNA), is present in fat tissue of infected animals. Ad-36 changes the metabolism of fat tissue to make fat cells larger and more abundant. Obetech scientists tested a small number of humans and found Ad-36 DNA in their fat tissue as well.
Obetech offers testing for the obesity virus to those who wish to know if they have been exposed. For obese people, the test can show the presence of a medical illness that may have contributed to the obesity. For non-obese people, a positive Ad-36 test is a risk factor for gaining weight in the future. Just like cholesterol testing, obesity virus testing alerts people at risk for future disease. A positive test may mean they must pay careful attention to diet, exercise, and good lifestyle habits to avoid obesity. It is much easier to prevent weight gain than it is to treat obesity after a person has gained a lot of weight.
For $100, you can get your blood tested to find out if you have it!
http://www.obesityvirus.com/research.asp
http://www.obesityvirus.com/ordertestkit.asp
While working on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, the founders of Obetech, LLC, discovered that a virus called adenovirus-36 (Ad-36), a type of common human virus, produced obesity in animals. Monkeys, mice, and chickens all gain weight when infected with the virus. Another surprising finding was that blood fats (cholesterol and triglycerides) went down instead of up when the animals gained weight.
Recognizing the implications of these findings, Dr. Richard Atkinson, founder of Obetech, began to investigate how the Ad-36 virus affected humans. Understandably, humans can not be intentionally infected with the virus for research purposes; however, those who have already been exposed will have antibodies to the virus in their bloodstream. These antibodies allow researchers to identify individuals who have been infected with the Ad-36 virus, and evaluate how it has affected their weight and blood fats.
Dr. Atkinson and his colleagues tested over 500 humans and found that about 30% of obese people have antibodies to Ad-36, but only about 10% of non-obese people have antibodies. People who have Ad-36 antibodies average more than 50 lb heavier and have much lower amounts of blood cholesterol and triglycerides than those without antibodies. The Obetech scientists also tested 26 twin pairs where one twin had Ad-36 antibodies and one twin did not. The infected twins weighed more and had a higher body fat than did the non-infected twins. Since twins are usually very much alike, this provides strong additional evidence that the Ad-36 virus produces obesity in humans.
The mechanism by which Ad-36 causes obesity is not known, but research has found that the virus genetic material (DNA), is present in fat tissue of infected animals. Ad-36 changes the metabolism of fat tissue to make fat cells larger and more abundant. Obetech scientists tested a small number of humans and found Ad-36 DNA in their fat tissue as well.
Obetech offers testing for the obesity virus to those who wish to know if they have been exposed. For obese people, the test can show the presence of a medical illness that may have contributed to the obesity. For non-obese people, a positive Ad-36 test is a risk factor for gaining weight in the future. Just like cholesterol testing, obesity virus testing alerts people at risk for future disease. A positive test may mean they must pay careful attention to diet, exercise, and good lifestyle habits to avoid obesity. It is much easier to prevent weight gain than it is to treat obesity after a person has gained a lot of weight.
