A new study found that children who were infected with adenovirus 36, which causes the common cold, were 50 pounds heavier than children who were not infected by the virus. Health experts are calling this an important discovery -- one that might help decrease the stigma associated with childhood obesity.

Dr. Jeffrey B. Schwimmer, director of the weight and wellness program at Rady Children's Hospital in San Diego and senior study author, told HealthDay he hopes these findings will get people to "move away from assigning blame, and broaden the way we think about obesity. Currently, there's a somewhat simplistic belief that obesity is just a person's own fault, or in the case of children, the fault of the family. But, that's an overly simplistic view, and it's not helpful."

Dr. Schwimmer noted it's also important not to read too much into the findings. "Regardless of the extent to which this impacts body weight, there's no question that eating healthfully and having regular, fun physical activity is good for you," he told HealthDay. "The reason we care about these behaviors is improving health."

Check out HealthTeacher's K-12 lesson plans on nutrition and physical activity.

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