ABC Health Insider

The answer is will power.

Good story. Gives fat people another excuse to be fat.

Tina, I very, VERY seriously doubt if you have ever been anywhere remotely near obesity, and it's not from some incredible willpower or personal fortitude. Now go ahead and bombard us with meaningless stats about how you lost 982 lbs by simply "knowing when you've had enough." Well, allow me to be (probably far from) the first to wonder how you can so glibly posit such an "answer," without coming off as pompous and arrogant? There are likely as many different reasons for variation in physical appearance as there are people. As for obesity, both you and I know people who eat like hogs, don't exdercise, and have maintained the same low weight for years; conversely, I'll further bet that we both know people who are religious about eating healthy and moderately, and who exercise very conscientiously and regularly, and who not only can't seem to lose, but tend to gain weight if they inhale too deeply. Please spare us the "they-must-be-cheating" non-argument. Bottom line: We Don't Know...period. A LOT of people: doctors, exercise "therapists," and gyms (not to mention manufacturers of all manner of "diet food," nutriceuticals and exercise equipment ranging from nothing-new to Are You Kidding Me?) are raking in hundreds of billions of dollars from the Look Good (whatever "good" is) craze, that it's extremely unlikely that any legitimate discovery will ever be allowed to surface and be recognized, much less accepted. Willpower, Tina? -- I think not -- too many people are making too much money. My hat is off to Nikhil Dhurandhar and similar researchers, who at least have presented an alternative to implicitly-judgmental holier-than-thou-isms such as that which you appear to espouse.

Whatzisface: The science is basic. If you eat more calories than you burn, you will gain weight. No doctor will argue that fact. Why people have more appetite than others is the mystery here I wish could be answered. Will-power has a lot to do with it though. Making the committment to better myself is what enabled me to lose 150 pounds, quit drugs, quit beer. I haven't the will-power to quit smoking yet, but I hope that day comes soon. I don't buy the theory that a virus makes people fat...period.

I don't know if I like the way this is going .... there's a virus that makes you overweight, it's contagious and there's no cure. Next comes the discrimination .... "don't come near me, I don't want to catch the fat virus!" I can see overweight people being banned from airplanes, grocery stores, restaurants or placed in isolation at schools and workplaces.

I'll be honest, while I do believe that there is a genetic predisposition to becoming obese, I admit that Panera bagels, McD's $ menu, repeatedly eating an entire bag of doritoes, oreos, dove chocolate in one sitting and refusing to excercise that is making me obese - not some mythical virus.

After reading about thousands losing their jobs today - I needed a story to make me laugh and this did it.

At the top of this page is an ad for toaster strudels, a product that contains partially hydrogenated soybean oil...

Whatzisfase,

You must be fat or you wouldn't have taken Tina's comment so personally. You are what you eat! Deal with it.

I understand that people need to feel that they are not to blame for their obesity, but in fact, to a point, they are. If you have a genetic disposition to being overweight, a tendency to gain weight easily, and you KNOW it, then unless you are still doing everything you can to prevent the weight gain, (exercise, eating right, etc) then it is at least partly your fault. Of course there are the rare instances where the person eats great, exercises, and is still obese, in that case, it's time to see a doctor. There could be a number of things causing it. Personally I know why I am obese. I do what I can to control it, but am not obsessed with being a size 2. I never have been that small and never will be. As long as the person, obese or not is comfortable with themselves, I don't see where someone else has a right to be judgemental....Sluggo!

Well, I kinda think of the too many mice in the tank theory and I think that maybe we are too many on the planet and thus, we are plagued with a number of disturbing viruses that we didnt used to have...perhaps one being a fat virus. But what are we to do about it? Do the best you can at controlling the hungries, try to keep moving your body, live life to the fullest and thats it.

This virus is exclusive to the USA. Is also called Fatassus Americasienctis.

I would like to know how much money is being spent on this 'research'? and maybe they could spend some more researching why intelligent people would believe they are fat because of a virus.

Chocolate Virus

While visiting the beach earlier this past year with my kids I happened to overhear a family speaking nearby. They were arguing whether they should go to the local steakhouse or grill their own steaks. The jist of the argument was that they had eaten at a steak restaurant every day for the past five and maybe they should do something different. Every single member of this family was large. Very large. What I would consider obese. Maybe they caught this virus.

Did this study include anyone outside America? I am currently living in Europe and when I see an obese person, 95% of the time it's an American. The eating habits on this side of the Atlantic are very different than in the US. While I do concede that some obese people have health conditions that cause their problem, the vast majority of overweight people are that way because of their lifestyles.

There has to be more to obesity than just lack of exercise or diet. I have met many people who eat more junk and exercise less than me and remain comparibly thinner. However, I think it's the American lifestyle on general that is causing obesity. We work too long with far more stress than is healthy which causes reactions both biologically and socially that are bad for us. Our American success is killing us.

"Too many yum-yums, not enough exercise" - as I explained to my 5 year old when she asked why how people get fat.

It's pretty simple, folks.

oops! Forgot some punctuation...

"why/how"

I clicked on the 1 Flat Tummy Rule: Obey advertisement and purchased a free sample of the acai berry pills. I gave my credit card number and started getting fraudulent charges from this company. I had to call my bank and have the card cancelled. Please BEWARE!