Getting Fat from The Cold?

dy: Common Cold Could be Linked to Obesity  
OzarksFirst.com - ‎1 hour ago‎
Can a virus cause kids to be overweight? That's what researchers at one California university are saying. Forget about burgers and fries - could you be getting fat from a cough?
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Can a virus cause kids to be overweight? That's what researchers at one California university are saying.
New research suggests obesity is contagious.

Forget about burgers and fries - could you be getting fat from a cough?

According to research led by Dr. Jeffrey Schwimmer of Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego, it could be a strain of the common cold that is adding inches to your waistline.

It's called Adenovirus-36 and in addition to causing the common cold, the virus could be a major factor in obesity.
"Children who've had this virus, 80 percent of them were obese," Schwimmer notes.

And the difference in weight was staggering. The kids that were studied were a whopping 35 pounds heavier than uninfected children.  
The results are nothing to sneeze at.  Despite the fun in the sun, children in San Diego County suffer from obesity at a slightly higher rate than the national average.

"There are about 100,000 obese children in San Diego," says Schwimmer.

That means about 20 percent but the study is much more far reaching than just today's children as the virus is nothing new.
"Adenovirus-36 was first discovered in the 80s which is right before the obesity epidemic began," Schwimmer says.

But before you go and blame this virus for all the world's obesity, keep in mind, this "common" cold is anything but.
"We know that adenoviruses as a whole cause about 8 to 10 percent of all of the colds children get, this particular strain is just one of the 55 that exist."

Dr. Schwimmer, who specializes in helping children overcome unhealthy weight, warns that no matter what the results, obesity is a complex problem.
"If it's proven that this virus is a cause of obesity it would be just that, a cause, not the cause."

But the million dollar question:  Is there a sniffling, sneezing, coughing, prevent-you-from-getting-obese medicine?  Unfortunately, no.
"We don't yet have a treatment for this virus but if a parent sees that their child is gaining weight rapidly that may be a sign there is a problem.... go and see their doctor," Schwimmer advises.

(James Koh - for FOX News)

[Trinity4]

I had plenty of colds when I was a kid and who's to say I didn't have Adenovirus-36 strain but I'm not fat.  So now Susie or Billy are fat because they had a cold?  Well, I guess that's another one to add to the list of excuses

I don't buy it.

[susan400]

Neither one of you ever will need to worry about getting fat!  Neither one of you seem to have any fat on your bods whatsoever!  Unlike me!  Susan400

[nygirl7]

Truthfully I think kids are fat because of video games. In our day and age you could eat anything you wanted because you were out riding your bike or playing cowboys and indians or something all day long till the sun went down. Parents would never have to yell at us to go out and play it was always yelling at us to come in an eat!

I don't buy the whole McDonalds thing either - I dont have the cash to eat the best food on the planet but as far as I know you can't use welfare stamps to buy Double Pounders so why say it's because poor folks eat too much McDs? how much to veggies really cost?

[GSDgirl]

shoot, I should weigh 229 and not 129.   I'm with NY on this one as that describes my neighborhood growing up

Denise

[can-do-man]

Amen to that, alot of kids today are lazy. To many cable channels, internet, videos, texting instead of playing outside, mowing yards for some extra cash. you used to have to ride your bike or walk to see your friends now they just set on their butts.

can did

[CoStudy]

We had no video games (pong). We had no cell phones, we ran over to out friends house to say something. Our parents did not drive us any where we rode our bikes or walked. Hell, we walked 2 miles to school, in the snow uphill, both ways. Todays kids are just lazy!

[Marcia2202]

I soo agree. It's the life style.

Exactly, we rode our bikes and played Indians. Yes, we walked to school or took our bikes. That's just what one did. I have raised my kids to do the same, where applicable.

And then there are the sodas, which a lot of kids nowadays gulp down as if it was water.

I remember drinking water. Sodas were for special occasions. And until this day, I don't care much for sodas at all.

[can-do-man]

Oh yeah, cowboys and indians. and when one of the fair maidens got hurt then i played doctor.......

Seymour

[Marcia2202]

lol... can-do, will-do

[Marcia2202]

candyman... I think you just got yourself a best answer there... You might even get your lost star back

[babs824]

i thought id had/have every virus known to man and i still weigh 110 with my boots on!