Can Getting a Cold Make a Kid Fat?

Could obesity be contagious? Sounds crazy, but a new study shows that there may be a connection between obesity and a type of common virus that causes colds, the flu and diarrhea: The American Academy of Pediatrics published an “early release” study on its website today that showed a link between childhood obesity and an antibody of a human adenovirus 36 or AD-36.

Of the total 124 children in the study, 54 percent were obese and 46 percent were not.  The findings show that 15 of the 19 children who had the antibody were obese, or 78 percent.  The researchers said on msnbc.com that this could help explain rapid or unexplained weight gain in kids but that he isn’t “blaming” obesity on the virus.

Though we should be cautious about the implications, the AAP states in the study abstract that there’s an association between the AD-36 virus antibody and obesity and, “If a cause-and-effect relationship is established, it would have considerable implications for the prevention and treatment of childhood obesity.”

We’ll be keeping a close eye on the situation!