Why are so many of today’s people obese, especially in Western countries. Could this be a consequence of a chronic virus in some individuals?

You have hit on a major breakthrough in understanding human health issues. There is a natural defensive mechanism that triggers fat deposition in response to the presence of chronic viruses that ramp up the immune system. It is as though the body senses it needs a layer of fat, like armor, and will busily begin to create a growing mass of fat to be a kind of shield. There are a number of things this accomplishes, mostly it is a sink for accumulating the lipophilic toxins that might be elaborated by invasive organisms or ingested toxins from contaminated food or chemical substances that might be present in the rare plant species by humans foraging in nature. In the early years of humanity, this was more likely to happen than today, but the built-in protective mechanisms are nonetheless still present genetically and energetically as well, through the workings of cellular consciousness responding to the local environment in the body. We would say that approximately 25% of the time, that obesity is largely a consequence of having a chronic viral presence in the body that is triggering this kind of defense mechanism and resulting in a noticeable fat accumulation that is unwanted. It can be an aggravating factor in many others beyond that core percentage for whom the virus is the primary driver. So if there are other conditions, including karmic influences predisposing people to being overweight, if they also harbor chronic viruses that likelihood will be intensified and made worse.