A framework for identification of infections that contribute to human obesity

Area of Science:

• Microbiology
• Epidemiology
• Public Health

Background:

• The World Health Organization (WHO) has declared obesity a global epidemic.
• Current obesity management strategies primarily focus on behavioral changes, yielding limited effectiveness.
• A deeper understanding of obesity's causative factors is crucial for developing more effective interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the potential role of microbial infections in human obesity.
• To propose a framework for investigating specific microbes' contributions to obesity.
• To raise awareness among clinicians about infectobesity as a distinct subtype.

Main Methods:

• Reviewing existing literature on microbes linked to obesity in animals and humans.
• Utilizing the adipogenic human adenovirus Ad36 as a model to develop a comprehensive examination template.
• Ethical considerations preclude direct experimental infection of humans.

Main Results:

• Several microbes show correlative and causative links with obesity.
• The Ad36 adenovirus model provides a template for studying microbial contributions to obesity.
• Infectobesity, obesity of infectious origin, is a potential subtype requiring distinct approaches.

Conclusions:

• Infections may represent a significant, yet under-recognized, factor in human obesity.
• Developing strategies to address infectobesity could enhance public health policies and obesity management.
• Clinicians need to consider infectious origins when managing obesity.