14 DAY TRIAL // Not every obese person eats like there is no tomorrow; children exposed to a certain strain of adenovirus are significantly more likely to be obese, found a study carried out by University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
The study led by Jeffrey B. Schwimmer, MD, associate professor of clinical pediatrics at UC San Diego, and his colleagues looked at 124 children, ages 8 to 18, and searched for antibodies specific to adenovirus 36 (AD36).
AD 36 is one of more than 50 strains of adenovirus known to infect humans that can cause several respiratory, gastrointestinal and other infections, and is the only one that has been linked to human obesity.
67 out of the 124 children were considered to be obese, having a BMI index of 95 or more, and researchers found the neutralizing antibodies specific to AD36 in 19 of them – 15%.
Most AD36-positive kids were obese (78%) and the AD36 antibodies were much more frequent in obese children – 15 of 67, than in normal-weight kids - 4 of 57.
Another concerning fact is that children who were AD36-positive had nearly 50 pounds (22.68 kg) more than those who were AD36 negative.
From the obese children group, those with AD36 infection weighed some 35 pounds (15.87 kg) more than those who were AD36-negative.
Being obese at ay age is a serious condition but “this amount of extra weight is a major concern especially for a child,” said Schwimmer, also director of Weight and Wellness at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego.
“Obesity can be a marker for future health problems like heart disease, liver disease and diabetes, and an extra 35 to 50 pounds is more than enough to greatly increase those risks.”
Schwimmer said that this research should lift off some of the burden upon obese people, especially children.
“Many people believe that obesity is one's own fault or the fault of one's parents or family, but this work helps point out that body weight is more complicated than it's made out to be.
“And it is time that we move away from assigning blame in favor of developing a level of understanding that will better support efforts at both prevention and treatment.
“These data add credence to the concept that an infection can be a cause or contributor to obesity,” he added.
Before establishing the exact mechanism of obesity, more research is necessary, according to Schwimmer.
This study was published today in the online edition of the journal Pediatrics.