Obesity is a virus? What it resides inside McDonald's beef patties and cheese? This is like saying alcoholism is a disease. The real disease here is lack of self control and lack of exercise.

How convenient to blame it on a scapegoat you can't see

Fermented soy products have MSG, too. Asians eat a lot of fermented soy products. Do you see plenty of fat Asians?

Again, it's all excuses. Despite using plenty of Ajinomoto in their cooking, Asians are still, generally speaking, not fat. You know why? They don't sit around on their lazy asses watching TV and munching Doritos.

Beachcoma, many human diseases are caused by problems not visible to the naked eye, so bringing up the subject of Electron Micrographs is completely within reason. In fact, I find it negligible to exclude such an important piece of scientific apparatus when dealing with virions.

In answer to you first question I cannot say definitively why Asian countries and others display less cases of obesity when it's possible a small portion of those cases are caused by viral infections. However, as noted previously, viral causes of obesity are a very small minority in the total number of people that would be considered obese the world over. In most cases it is due to improper diet and exercise, but the viral implications cannot be ignored. The purpose of this thread was to discuss if AD-36 can be responsible for obesity...the answer is a resounding yes. This does not mean that every case of obesity has a viral cause; only a small fraction. So yes, obesity can be caused by a virus.

The demographical distribution of viruses around the world is an area I have very little information on as it covers a broad range of topics such as cultural and sociological impacts of consumption. Because known cases of the Adenovirus causing obesity are very low, and the research if fairly new, I would expect to see more in the future. On a whim I would suggest that cases of this virus causing infection all over the world are similar to that of the US. That is, a small minority, but a minority nonetheless.

[edit on 31-8-2007 by Jazzerman]

Jazzerman -
I read your reply to my post...a 2.5 increase in "fat production" is pretty significant, but if you do not eat more than your basal calories needed (including allowances for extra calories with extra exercise), it doesn't seem like you would go from, lets say, 200 pounds to 300 pounds overnight. Months or years are needed (minus things like pregnancy). The self control issue is at the heart of this - I have seen this scenario before and I am sure you have too : In McDonalds, the person ordering the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese, Large Fries (Supersized maybe) and a DIET Coke... Portion control is key. Your post was very insightful and interesting!

Originally posted by Jazzerman
Beachcoma, many human diseases are caused by problems not visible to the naked eye, so bringing up the subject of Electron Micrographs is completely within reason. In fact, I find it negligible to exclude such an important piece of scientific apparatus when dealing with virions.

Sigh. You missed my point again. Let me just spell it out.

It sure is easy to blame a microbe for one's obesity, when it is probably one's own poor dietary habits that is to be blamed.

Other than that, I've no issues with the rest of your post. However I'd agree with harddrive21 that even if indeed the virus is responsible for an increase in fat production, lack of self-control is the primary reason. The virus seems to be a small factor. Genetics are probably a bigger factor.

harddrive21,

Thanks, and an excellent post of your's I might add. I essentially agree with you in that a reduction in consumption would be in order if their was the risk of a 2.5 fold increase in the amount of fat cells stored in the body. However, since Cholesterol and Lipids remain at low levels in most of the test subjects it makes me wonder if a reduction in food intake would have a negative side effect as well. That is, the body needs some Cholesterol and Lipids to survive, and if the already low levels of these were reduced further I could see a negative aspect forming. Perhaps further research with AD-36 and 37 will answer the question:

If intake of food decreases while the subject is infected with AD-36 or 37, will Fatty Acid production decline in succession with the amount of Lipids?

Only further studies will tell.

Could it be as simple as the lower Cholesterol and fatty acid levels are because of the increase in Cell Membrane Synthesis/cell growth with the adipose tissue is expanding (either from the adenovirus or just overconsumption of food)? I would also question what specific cell lines the virus are integrating into...Liver cells (affecting blood sugar and fat synthesis/metabolism), adipose tissue, maybe even muscle cell integration where glucose is not taken up properly, causing a higher blood sugar and the body converting it into fat (so increase in carbs are the enemy not specifically a high fat diet)? Wouldn't it be funny if an Atkins type diet would be the "cure" - high fiber, high protein, good fat and no carbs...

Originally posted by Beachcoma
Sigh. You missed my point again. Let me just spell it out.

It sure is easy to blame a microbe for one's obesity, when it is probably one's own poor dietary habits that is to be blamed.

Actually the first part of my post was in reply to your "scapegoat that you can't see" question, which as I pointed out...if one is looking for a viral infection as the cause of disease then bringing Microscopes into the question is completely reasonable. I apologize if the wording was somewhat confusing.

Anyhow, I have already discussed dietary habits vs. viral causation to death. AD-36 and 37 do cause obesity, not every case of obesity, but a small number of those tested under study.

Originally posted by harddrive21
I would also question what specific cell lines the virus are integrating into

Good points, at this juncture I know that this Adenovirus attacks certains stem cells by attaching to Sialic Acid on the cells surface, and specifically blocks the release of mRNA found in Leptin, which in turn prevents it from binding to receptors in the Hypothalamus. Due to Leptin's inability to bind with these receptors, the body can no longer regulate it's own metabolic processes which contribute to the feeling of hunger and digestive inactivity.

Now thats damn interesting...I am going to share a story here : Zyprexa is well known to cause BIG weight gains (20lb per year on average) - people on this Atypical Antipsychotic drug experience a never ending hunger. With the Dopamine and Serotonin regulated with this drug it "mixes up" the brains ability to tell if you are hungry or thirsty...so people on this drug, if they are hungry, would take a tall glass of water and within minutes, the hunger is gone...I always wondered if this was more "metabolic" in nature (like the problem with messenger RNA affecting Leptin production). My professional guess would be that the number of obese people from this specific virus will probably be around 10-15%. Looking at the eating habits of Americans and the lack of virus transmission around the world (affecting other countries to the same extent) might even bring that percentage down. It might even be possible to "trick the virus" with the water trick mentioned above. Some of the HIV/AIDS drugs (reverse transcriptase inhibitors or protease inhibitors or even Tamiflu) I bet will get some kind of research funding to see if a low dose might work (since we all look for the pill to cure instead of lifestyle changes).