Dictionary definition of “infectobesity”

infectobesity

n. obesity caused by bacteria or a virus. Subjects: English, Health

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Citations: 2001 Nikhil V. Dhurandhar Journal of Nutrition (2794S) (Oct. 1) “Infectobesity: Obesity of infectious origin” vol. 131, no. 10,: While genetic and behavioral components of obesity have been the focus of intense study, an infection as an etiological factor has received little attention. Although “infectobesity,” a new term to describe obesity of infectious origin, appears to be a new concept, over the past 20 y six different pathogens have been reported to cause obesity in animal models (3-11). The relative contribution of these pathogens to human obesity is unknown. 2006 Robin Marantz Henig New York Times (Aug. 13) “Fat Factors”: One year ago, the idea that microbes might cause obesity gained a foothold when the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Louisiana created the nation’s first department of viruses and obesity. It is headed by Nikhil Dhurandhar, a physician who invented the term “infectobesity” to describe the emerging field. 2007 Melissa Wenner She Blinded Me With Science! (New York City) (Feb. 22) “Possible Virus X….?”: Dhurandar found that AD-36 causes obesity in chickens and rats, and that some obese people also carry this virus. (He coined the term “infectobesity.”) 2009 Danielle Page Examiner.com (Ju;y 27) “Did you know catching this common human virus can make you fat?”: Catching “being fat” by means of this virus has been called Infectobesity by Professor Nikhil Dhurandhar, a professor at Louisiana State University. What virus is this exactly? It’s called Adenovirus-36, otherwise known as Ad-36. This particular strain of 50 Adenoviruses which are responsible for respiratory infections, eye infections and colds was first linked to weight gain when Dhurandhar noticed that chickens infected with Ad-36 became plump instead of wasting away with disease.

Posted 23 Feb 07 | Permalink | Tell a Friend

Reader comments:

What is AD-36, and how does it work within the body and can it be cured through treatment. If this is a gene have you or will you do studies in the Native American population who has a problem in this area?
Thank you,
Sandra Akins
osageslalu@sbcglobal.net

by Sandra Akins 23 Feb 07, 0817 GMT