| In new study published this month, a research team | | | | **Some Facts about Obesity |
| claims to have found evidence that a contagious | | | | Generally speaking, a person is considered "obese" |
| virus can contribute to obesity. | | | | when his or her health is endangered by the amount |
| The team found that a specific human adenovirus | | | | of fat stored in his or her body endangers. Here are |
| Ad-37 seems to trigger obesity in chickens. Previous | | | | some recent OECD statistics that show just how |
| studies had linked other adenoviruses -- Ad-36 and | | | | widespread the problem of obesity is: |
| Ad-5 -- to obesity in animals. | | | | Percentage of Population (+15 years old) who are |
| These and other adenoviruses cause colds and other | | | | obese |
| common illnesses in people. There are about 50 of | | | | U.S.A. - 30.6% |
| them, according to the team leader, Leah D. | | | | Mexico - 24.2% |
| Whigham of the University of Wisconsin. Three have | | | | U.K. - 22.4% |
| now been linked to obesity, and Whigham says the | | | | Australia - 21.7% |
| others need to be studied for similar effects. | | | | New Zealand - 17% |
| "There is quite a bit of already published data with | | | | Canada - 14.9% |
| Ad-36 and its association with obesity," she said. "If | | | | Germany - 12.9% |
| you look at obese people, more of them have | | | | France - 9.4% |
| antibodies to Ad-36 than lean people." | | | | That means, almost 1 in 3 Americans and about 1 in 5 |
| The report is in the January issue of the American | | | | Australians are so severely overweight that they |
| Journal of Physiology - Regulatory, Integrative and | | | | have health problems because of their weight. |
| Comparative Physiology - | | | | Obesity is now the most significant contributor to ill |
| One of the long term objectives of researchers is to | | | | health worldwide. |
| create a vaccine that would combat the effects of | | | | Researchers and health officials have attributed a |
| these viruses. This would, presumably, help people | | | | wide range of illneses to obesity. These include type |
| fight obesity. | | | | 2 diabetes mellitus, hyperlipidemia, high blood |
| **Traditional Causes of Obesity | | | | pressure, heart disease, stroke, asthma, back and |
| Not surprisingly, other experts in the field of obesity | | | | lower extremity weight-bearing degenerative |
| are sceptical of the quest to pin the cause on | | | | problems, depression, and even certain types of |
| viruses. According to the traditional view of obesity, | | | | cancer. |
| its primary cause is quite simple. A person gains | | | | In the United State overweight and obesity have |
| weight when he or she consumes more calories than | | | | become an epidemic. Recent statistics show that |
| they burn. | | | | approximately 127 million adults are overweight, 60 |
| This involves two important factors -- diet and | | | | million are obese, and 9 million are severely obese. |
| activity level. In countries like the U.S. where obesity | | | | This is a trend that has been accelerating at least |
| has reached epidemic proportions, common diets are | | | | since the 1970s. In just 24 years (1976 to 2000) the |
| oozing with more fat and sugar than ever before. | | | | percentage of overweight adults in the U.S. went |
| People are also generally less acitve and involved in | | | | from 46% to 64.5%. And in just 12 years (1988 to |
| sedentary activities such as sitting in front of | | | | 2000) the percentage of severely obese adults in the |
| computers all day, and in front TV screens all night. | | | | U.S. went from 2.9% to 4.7%. |