Scientists link obesity to gut bacteria

By CoLDBloodED - 12-23-2012, 12:41 AM - Boxden > The Faculty of Science

Obesity in human beings could be caused by bacterial infection rather than eating too much, exercising too little or genetics, according to a groundbreaking study that could have profound implications for public health systems, the pharmaceutical industry and food manufacturers.

The discovery in China followed an eight-year search by scientists across the world to explain the link between gut bacteria and obesity.

Researchers in Shanghai identified a human bacteria linked with obesity, fed it to mice and compared their weight gain with rodents without the bacteria. The latter did not become obese despite being fed a high-fat diet and being prevented from exercising.

The bacterium – known as enterobacter – encourages the body to make and store fat, and prevents it from being used, by deregulating the body’s metabolism-controlling genes.

“This is a very important phenomenon,” said Professor Zhao Liping, who with a team at Shanghai Jiao Tong University carried out the research. “It is the last missing piece of evidence bacteria causes obesity.”

Other academics not linked to the project were quick to seize on its potential implications.

Dr David Weinkove, lecturer in biological sciences at Durham University, said: “If obesity is caused by bacteria, it could be infectious and picked up from some unknown environmental factor, or a parent. It might not be behavioural after all.”

Dr Weinkove said Prof Zhao’s research paved a way to intervene in obesity and could allow new drugs to be developed for treatment.

The study was published in the peer-reviewed journal of the International Society for Microbial Ecology.

Governments around the world are grappling with an obesity pandemic. Chronically overweight people are at a greater risk of suffering from a heart attack, cancer, and diabetes.

According to government and academic studies, nearly 50 per cent of all adults in the US and UK will be obese by 2030.

The UK government estimated that the total cost of obesity – the cost of healthcare as well as the wider burden on the economy – could amount to £50bn a year by 2050 if the pandemic was left unchecked, according to a report by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.

Although the Shanghai research was on a small scale, it is bound to add to a heated debate between the health profession and food and drink manufacturers and fast-food chains over responsibility for obesity.

Prof Zhao said treatment with a specially developed diet could be cheaper and more effective than surgery for the morbidly obese and could be available within three years.

There are 10 times more microbes than human cells in our bodies and they can be beneficial. There are between 200 and 300 different species in a typical person.

The Shanghai team fed a morbidly obese man a special diet designed to inhibit the bacterium linked to obesity and found that he lost 29 per cent of his body weight in 23 weeks. The patient was prevented from doing any exercise during the trial.

Prof Zhao said such a loss in an obese patient using this diet was unprecedented. The patient also recovered from diabetes, high blood pressure and fatty liver disease.

The diet of whole grains, traditional Chinese medicines and non-digestible carbohydrates changed the pH in the gut which limited the bacterium’s activity.

Enterobacter also release chemicals, called endotoxins, which cause insulin resistance and a slower uptake of glucose from the blood after eating. Patients take longer to feel full, so they eat more.

A control for calorie intake was not possible as administering the diet with normal bacteria would cause unsustainable hunger, as the bacteria stops fat stores being mobilised and satiating the body, Mr Zhao said.

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Scientists link obesity to gut bacteria - FT.com

12-23-2012, 11:46 AM

Say word?

12-23-2012, 11:58 AM

Im so tired of the execuses for fat people, so now it's "environmental"? The !! outta here. I guess it's a coincidence that half the fat people you know also love to eat. Let me tell you something brother, my cousin was adopted by my auntie. My auntie is overweight and so is my cousin, they are NOT blood relatives. So how'd this happen? Because kids eat what their parents eat, nothing more nothing less. Whatever you eat, your kids will eat too. !! "genetics", !! "bacteria", !! "midnight eatting" and all these other execuses. Ive personally seen two overweight NON-RELATED people living in the same household.

12-23-2012, 12:06 PM

Originally Posted by Chief Dee

Im so tired of the execuses for fat people, so now it's "environmental"? The !! outta here. I guess it's a coincidence that half the fat people you know also love to eat. Let me tell you something brother, my cousin was adopted by my auntie. My auntie is overweight and so is my cousin, they are NOT blood relatives. So how'd this happen? Because kids eat what their parents eat, nothing more nothing less. Whatever you eat, your kids will eat too. !! "genetics", !! "bacteria", !! "midnight eatting" and all these other execuses. Ive personally seen two overweight NON-RELATED people living in the same household.

[pic] so not only did the article say they don't know where it's picked up at, could be environmental and if parents have it they may pass it on to their children, but u missed this part too huh just so u can rant and still not know what the !! u talking about

Enterobacter also release chemicals, called endotoxins, which cause insulin resistance and a slower uptake of glucose from the blood after eating. Patients take longer to feel full, so they eat more.

sit yo homotional[..] down and upgrade yo reading comprehension skills before u make yourself look like a crybaby dumbass [pic]

12-23-2012, 12:17 PM

..god damn

12-23-2012, 12:32 PM

Originally Posted by TB

[pic] so not only did the article say they don't know where it's picked up at, could be environmental and if parents have it they may pass it on to their children, but u missed this part too huh just so u can rant and still not know what the !! u talking about

sit yo homotional[..] down and upgrade yo reading comprehension skills before u make yourself look like a crybaby dumbass [pic]

Fat people quick to defend other fat people [pic]

So you're saying that it takes longer for them to feel full...maybe they should eat slower? I know that's some unheard of !! that hasn't been suggested for decades but bear with me.

Funny that one of the main components of this so-called bacteria hindering diet is whole grains. Ya don't say, eating whole grains will help you feel fuller and lose weight? Mind blowing stuff right here. Article says they'll have a diet to help people with obesity within 3 years [pic]

12-23-2012, 12:33 PM

Originally Posted by Chief Dee

Im so tired of the execuses for fat people, so now it's "environmental"? The !! outta here. I guess it's a coincidence that half the fat people you know also love to eat. Let me tell you something brother, my cousin was adopted by my auntie. My auntie is overweight and so is my cousin, they are NOT blood relatives. So how'd this happen? Because kids eat what their parents eat, nothing more nothing less. Whatever you eat, your kids will eat too. !! "genetics", !! "bacteria", !! "midnight eatting" and all these other execuses. Ive personally seen two overweight NON-RELATED people living in the same household.

That's a flawed example, since he is adopted I'm[..]uming you never meet his biological parent's who could also be Obese. And there are those people who love to eat but don't gain weight and don't work out, how do you explain those people?

12-23-2012, 12:37 PM

Originally Posted by jasperfect

That's a flawed example, since he is adopted I'm[..]uming you never meet his biological parent's who could also be Obese. And there are those people who love to eat but don't gain weight and don't work out, how do you explain those people?

It's called a metabolism. Some people's are faster than others.

12-23-2012, 12:43 PM

Eat a balanced diet,
exercise regularly
miss me with this bull!!
[pic]

12-23-2012, 12:47 PM

I bet a lean diet with low carbs along with regular intense exercise is a lot more effective lol.

Says 23 percent in 23 weeks, I can drop 5 percent in 1 week, obviously this rate would slow down as time goes on but when I was competing I could easily drop 10kg in 2 weeks by exercising and eating just eggs, chicken and low carb vegetables.

This study might be true though, but bactaria is no excuse for a poor diet and laziness.

12-23-2012, 12:48 PM

Originally Posted by ozzieb

Eat a balanced diet,
exercise regularly
miss me with this bull!!
[pic]

[pic]

12-23-2012, 01:00 PM

I find it funny that the article starts with "Obesity in human beings could be caused by bacterial infection rather than eating too much, exercising too little or genetics" then goes on to tell how the bacteria causes people to eat too much. [pic]

Even if the bacteria does exist, "feeling full" from lower calorie foods and exercising more will still keep you from becoming obese.

12-23-2012, 01:06 PM

Originally Posted by ozzieb

Eat a balanced diet,
exercise regularly
miss me with this bull!!
[pic]

[pic][pic]

12-23-2012, 01:27 PM

Everyone has trillions of bacteria in them. Gut bacteria does influence many things, but I don't expect people on here to know a damn thing about biology though.

educate yourselves.

12-23-2012, 01:34 PM

Originally Posted by jasperfect

That's a flawed example, since he is adopted I'm[..]uming you never meet his biological parent's who could also be Obese. And there are those people who love to eat but don't gain weight and don't work out, how do you explain those people?

That is explained by p-ratio... Some people naturally have body fat lower than others... Some people have higher levels of body fat... The naturally thin people gain more lean body mass than fat. Some people who actually dieted down gain more fat than lean body mass because the body wants to go back to where it once was...

Homeostasis is a big problem when people with higher body fat levels naturally lose fat... You body is scheming, waiting for a chance to be like how it was before... Most of that !! is genetics so you can't change it.. Even though it is true that is NOT an excuse to be an extremely fat piece of !! that continues to stuff your face, huffing 5000 calories a day, whining that you are hopeless because it's what you are...... People with higher body fat levels can look like lean people, but they just have to eat differently.....

12-23-2012, 01:38 PM

Originally Posted by ozzieb

Eat a balanced diet,
exercise regularly
miss me with this bull!!
[pic]

[pic] [pic] Fat people do use this as an excuse to be and continue to be fat as !!...

Strap on that calorie deficit and start exercising and they good...

Originally Posted by super vILLain

I find it funny that the article starts with "Obesity in human beings could be caused by bacterial infection rather than eating too much, exercising too little or genetics" then goes on to tell how the bacteria causes people to eat too much. [pic]

Even if the bacteria does exist, "feeling full" from lower calorie foods and exercising more will still keep you from becoming obese.

Yeah.... The bacteria doesn't take over their brains and tell them to suck up two large pizzas, some burgers and large colas.... The obese people aren't taking responsibility for their health blaming things other than themselves....

12-23-2012, 02:25 PM

Originally Posted by super vILLain

Fat people quick to defend other fat people [pic]

So you're saying that it takes longer for them to feel full...maybe they should eat slower? I know that's some unheard of !! that hasn't been suggested for decades but bear with me.

Funny that one of the main components of this so-called bacteria hindering diet is whole grains. Ya don't say, eating whole grains will help you feel fuller and lose weight? Mind blowing stuff right here. Article says they'll have a diet to help people with obesity within 3 years [pic]

[pic] another mutha!!a that don't read

who says i'm fat and why the !! u trash talking when i didn't say !!, the article that u obviously didn't read said it

so while u busy swallowing that man's !! and missed the direct quote i posted from the article explaining why he was whining for nothing, how bout u upgrade yo reading game and get up off yo knees and stop sucking !! and start reading more

and u have a nice !!ing day too [pic]

02:33 PM

Originally Posted by ozzieb

Eat a balanced diet,
exercise regularly
miss me with this bull!!
[pic]

This

Anyone who manages their caloric intake knows that this is pretty much horse!!. Not saying that their isn't a small merit to the article's claims, but it's way over exaggerated. I bulk and cut all the time, as do most of my friends. All my friends who are fat, are nowhere nearly as dedicated as my fit friends, when it comes to diet and exercise.

Sorry, but fat people are fat for a reason, and it's not this bacteria [pic]

I guess when people lose weight by exercising and dieting, they're really just regulating bacteria. !! outta here [pic]

12-23-2012, 02:31 PM

Originally Posted by Bea5T

Everyone has trillions of bacteria in them. Gut bacteria does influence many things, but I don't expect people on here to know a damn thing about biology though.

educate yourselves.

awww !! u said the "e" word, these mutha!!as too busy trying to talk !! and not learn a damn thing cause it's too much like right, try telling these idiots something and u gotta be fat, can't be u have science degrees and know what the !! u talking bout, nope, gotta be some[..]inine !! cause they say so

[pic] @ smart dumb mutha!!as

12-23-2012, 02:35 PM

Obesity in human beings could be caused by bacterial infection rather than eating too much, exercising too little or genetics

so all u ignant mutha!!as talking !! just happen to miss the first sentence and the use of could be, never did it say that was the bottom line, but implies rather there may also be a new reason too but yall missed that huh??? just read the title and started talking !! .......... i'm done [pic]

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