Virus blamed for obesity epidemic

Today's Sydney Morning Herald carries a story that does my heart good! Obesity could be caused by a virus... that would be very nice if it's proved that people have gained weight because of a virus and not because of snacking!

Hmmm... I wonder if I could blame my weight on a virus... that'd be nice... I wouldn't need to feel so guilty when I have that "little" snack!

AS MANY as one in five Australians may have contracted a virus linked to obesity. Blood tests on 2000 Australians, carried out in the US, showed about 20 per cent of them had been exposed to a virus called Ad-36, which some researchers say can cause weight gain.

The idea that fatness is catching is controversial. However, Richard Atkinson, Emeritus Professor of Medicine at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, who did the testing, said a fat virus could help explain the worldwide epidemic of obesity.

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Virus blamed for obesity epidemic