The term "infectobesity" refers to obesity of infectious origin and the emerging field of medical research that studies the relationship between pathogens (disease-causing organisms, such as viruses and bacteria) and weight gain. The term was coined in 2001 by Dr. Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. (Dhurandhar, 2001).

Bacteria

The study of the effect of infectious agents on metabolism is still in its early stages. Gut flora has been shown to differ between lean and obese humans. There is an indication that gut flora in obese and lean individuals can affect the metabolic potential. This apparent alteration of the metabolic potential is believed to confer a greater capacity to harvest energy contributing to obesity. Whether these differences are the direct cause or the result of obesity has yet to be determined unequivocally.

Viruses

An association between viruses and obesity has been found in humans as well as number of different animal species. The amount that these association may have contributed to the rising rate of obesity is yet to be determined.

The fat virus is the popular name for the concept that some obesity in humans and other animals has a viral source. The AD-36 adenovirus has been observed to increase the amount of body fat on laboratory animals, an effect that has been duplicated on chickens and monkeys. Human testing has not been committed on grounds of research ethics however antibodies to the virus have been detected in obese individuals.

History

The term was coined in 2001 by Dr. Nikhil V. Dhurandhar, at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center. (Dhurandhar, 2001).