Obesity - Can It Be Contagious?
Author: Alexander Bruni
Time for reading: ~1
minutes
Last Updated:
August 08, 2022
A weak immune system can increase the number of "bad" bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract by up to 1,000 times. This in turn can be one of the causes of liver obesity.
Obesity can be contagious, according to a new study published in the journal Nature .
The study shows that a weak immune system can lead to the development of hepatic steatosis or obesity of the liver . The reason is the consumption of fatty and high-calorie foods.
Hepatic steatosis is a metabolic disorder that results in enlargement of the liver.
A weak immune system allows the multiplication of "bad" bacteria in the gastrointestinal tract up to 1000 times. This, in turn, is one of the causes of liver obesity, the researchers said.
The results of the study show that the bacteria can spread and infect another organism with a weak immune system, leading to hepatic steatosis .
The study has not yet been conducted with human participation and it is not clear whether obesity can be "transmitted" from person to person. To this end, the research team hopes for further research.
Researchers are trying to draw the public's attention to the fact that obesity may not only be genetically justified in the family, but may be due to "infection" between members of a household.
If this hypothesis is proven, it is likely that an adequate solution will be found to reduce obesity through probiotic treatment , for example, the researchers said.
Hepatic steatosis affects 75% of the world's population, and for 20% of them the disease is fatal .