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The Obesity Virus?

Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
Video on 4oD

Thoughts?

Comments

  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I think that the theory needs a lot more work and evidence before it's likely to be accepted. A major issue with this, at the moment, is that it will give some people an excuse to ignore their personal responsibility. It's worth noting, if you read some of the scientific journals, that the "infection rate" suggests that 30% of obese people may be infected and 11% of lean people.

    I'm not overweight because I have a virus. I'm overweight because of my poor diet and lack of sedentary lifestyle. Same for most overweight people IMHO. Even if you *do* have the virus, the evidence so far doesn't say that it makes you fat, but rather your body will create more, larger fat cells. Your diet and exercise regime can be adjusted to recify this. There is still personal control.

    PS Nice to see CH4 catching up. BBC did a programme about this back in 2009!
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I'm not overweight because I have a virus. I'm overweight because of my poor diet and lack of sedentary lifestyle. Same for most overweight people IMHO. Even if you *do* have the virus, the evidence so far doesn't say that it makes you fat, but rather your body will create more, larger fat cells. Your diet and exercise regime can be adjusted to recify this. There is still personal control.

    Bingo. As a fattie, I know it's down to eating badly (I shove food in through my ear, boom boom) and not exercising enough. In my group of friends, the people who eat healthily and exercise are thin, the folk who don't are fat.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    When I was big, it was down to alcohol, chips and not exercising, true... I just think the video gives food for thought (no pun intended).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Bingo. As a fattie, I know it's down to eating badly (I shove food in through my ear, boom boom) and not exercising enough. In my group of friends, the people who eat healthily and exercise are thin, the folk who don't are fat.
    Well, when I was a child until about.. 14, and several people I knew didn't exactly eat "healthily". We ate all the rubbish under the sun (chips, burgers, sweets, crisps, you name it), but the thing that kept/keeps us thin is the fact we were relatively physically active. I piled on loads of weight from year 9 onwards when I started getting badly bullied at school, and all I did was stay in on the internet and graze. I had unhealthy afterschool eating habits, like buying cones of chips, cheap crisps, etc. Unsurprisingly, I put on 5-6 stone which I'm trying to lose now.

    Sorry, I didn't watch that programme, but my opinion on obesity is that in many/some cases an obese/overweight person has unaddressed mental health problems (depression + anxiety) and food can sort of be your "drug", something tasty can instantly lighten up your day and give you a bit of extra energy, help keep your minds off things. At the same time, you don't have the motivation to keep exercising to burn the additional calories you're consuming. I really wish I paid attention to my mums warnings I was putting on too much weight too quickly, I wouldn't have got into the state I am in now otherwise.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Namaste wrote: »
    When I was big, it was down to alcohol, chips and not exercising, true... I just think the video gives food for thought (no pun intended).

    It does, and I suspect that there is an element of truth in it too. There is enough evidence not to completely dismiss the theory at the moment.

    However, what it does show is that diet etc is still linked. Fine, find a vaccine but that will only help a minority and still won't prevent them from getting fat.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Well if for some people, it helps them... Then surely it's worth investigating?

    I remember seeing a man on Embarrassing Bodies, who took steroids for a condition and it made him grow huge. I don't think obesity is always a case of lifestyle, though weight gain through other means could contribute to a less healthy lifestyle (i.e. comfort eating, lack of exercise due to mobility difficulty ect).
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Obesity isn't always about diet and lifestyle, there are many medical conditions that cause weightgain pretty much regardless of diet or lifestyle (in women PCOS is one that comes to mind). I wouldn't doubt that some people have this issue due to catching a virus- ME affects weight a lot too, and not just because of the fatigue.

    However I think most people catch their fatness from takeaway suppers and wine, not from a virus.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    P to the ersonal responsibility.
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    I personally think that obesity is something that can only be tackled with a proper healthy eating and exercise regime over a long period of time (weight lost quickly won't stay off).

    I've recently read some concerning facts about obesity though, that are definitely worth a read.

    http://www.thelifedept.co.uk/livelonger/eat-better/30-of-adults-in-four-boroughs-are-obese/

    and

    http://www.thelifedept.co.uk/livelonger/eat-better/half-of-all-adults-obese-by-2030/

    on the plus side, though, places like slimming world and weight watchers can really help boost weight loss (a friend of mine who was pretty slim anyway managed to lose her last 10lb by going to slimming world)

    http://www.thelifedept.co.uk/livelonger/footer-featured-c/group-meetings-are-better-for-dieting-than-doctors-advice/

    Hope I've been of some help.. Or at least provided some interesting info! :)
  • Former MemberFormer Member Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
    Obesity isn't always about diet and lifestyle, there are many medical conditions that cause weightgain pretty much regardless of diet or lifestyle (in women PCOS is one that comes to mind). I wouldn't doubt that some people have this issue due to catching a virus- ME affects weight a lot too, and not just because of the fatigue.

    However I think most people catch their fatness from takeaway suppers and wine, not from a virus.

    Agreed. But I think those people are in the minority.
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