Could a Strain of the Cold Virus Be to Blame for Obesity?
A new study out of the University of California, San Diego, found that obese children were far more likely to be infected with adenovirus 36 (AD36) than fit children. This is a strain of the cold virus. Mainstream media outlets have begun linking the cold strand with child obesity, and even blaming it for the childhood obesity epidemic. MSNBC even posted an article entitled “Nothing to sneeze at: Common cold virus may make kids fat.”
Blaming the Symptoms
The likelihood of an obese child becoming infected with a strain of the cold virus is much higher than that of a healthy child due to their impaired immune system. To say that these children are obese due to the fact that they are infected with the cold virus, is to blame the symptom instead of the root cause. These children are obese due to poor lifestyle choices that many Americans continue to make.
Instead of targeting the real causes of obesity (high-fructose corn syrup, BPA, vitamin D deficiency, lack of exercise), the mainstream media seems to enjoy discussing ridiculous theories and popularizing the myth that your genetics dictate whether or not you are fat.
Taking no Responsibility
Oftentimes people love to believe news reports such as the ones claiming that the cold virus is responsible for obesity, because it puts their mind at ease. If they believe this is true, then they do not have to take any responsibility for their lifestyle choices. Instead of dedicating time to researching how to go about losing weight correctly, they can tell themselves that they are only overweight because of the cold virus.
Of course this will lead them only to further weight gain and eventually crippling disease. Unfortunately these people love to blame anything but themselves for their physical condition. In reality it isn’t entirely their fault, as the food industry of the world has chosen to load their products full of obesity-causing chemicals.
Luckily, the media cannot fully ignore the truth about what truly causes obesity and disease. Consumers are speaking with their dollars, and only buying quality 100% organic food products. This has even led to The Corn Refiners Association attempting to deceptively change the name of “corn syrup” to “corn sugar” in order to trick consumers into thinking it is a different ingredient. Continue to vote with your dollar, and purchase only health-conscious foods.
