An obesity vaccine on the horizon?
Shoving aside poor eating and physical-activity habits and the plethora of shoddy foods available on the cheap, comes an interesting reason why some people may be obese.
A virus.
Specifically, adenovirus-36, the same one that underlies the common cold. Researchers took human stem cells and exposed them to adenovirus-36, and were surprised by the results. The stem cells turned into fat cells and began storing fat.
This isn't the first time that researchers have linked obesity to the common-cold virus. For some years now, studies have shown that there were a high percentage of heavier people who had been infected with the adenovirus than less-heavy people. Some researchers even exposed lab animals to the virus and then watched them grow.
Thank heavens, there is still such a thing as ethics to be found in the medical community. Instead of exposing folks to the virus to see what would happen, researchers elected to instead use liposuctioned fat for the purpose of obtaining some stem cells. Next, they exposed those cells to the virus.
According to those researchers, more than half of those cells transformed themselves into fat cells.
Which leads to the next "obvious" step, especially if you're from the ranks of Big Pharma: An obesity vaccine. Yes, incredible but true, you may one day have your doctor make you an offer you can't refuse: A shot to keep you from gaining excess weight.
What's next, a vaccine for people who run late all the time? Another to allow you to put up graciously with your pesky in-laws?
And I can only imagine the line of people who'd be willing to roll up their sleeve for this. It would look like a line for Starbucks on a day they're handing out free lattes. I'll repeat my rule on vaccines: Wait seven years. That allows enough time for the vaccine manufacturers to work out any kinks—and also see what the long-term effects of the new wonder-vaccine might be.
Were it only so easy to remove our own part in the matter of our burgeoning waistlines. The reality still is what it is. If you eat too much of the wrong kinds of foods, ignore your fruits and vegetables and portion sizes, and sit in front of the television that extra hour when you could be walking—and you're going to gain weight.
There's no vaccine that is going to relieve any of us from personal responsibility, so be realistic and do what you have to in order to maintain a healthy weight for your height. Losing any weight is wrapped up in more than just the tip of a needle. There are physical, emotional, and behavioral components that have to work in sync in order for you to be successful at it.
If you know you have a problem with food, I highly recommend that you make an appointment with a nutritionist. If your problem is physical activity, seek a qualified personal trainer for a few sessions to get you started on the right path. Go to www.ncsa- lift.org.
