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The Obesity Virus?
Former Member
Posts: 1,876,323 The Mix Honorary Guru
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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!
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.
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.
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.
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).
However I think most people catch their fatness from takeaway suppers and wine, not from a virus.
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!
Agreed. But I think those people are in the minority.