Specific Gut Bacteria May Account For Much Obesity

resistant writes "A limited study from China offers the tantalizing possibility that targeting specific gut bacteria in humans could significantly reduce the scope of an epidemic of obesity in Western countries: 'The endotoxin-producing Enterobacter decreased in relative abundance from 35% of the volunteer's gut bacteria to non-detectable, during which time the volunteer lost 51.4kg of 174.8kg initial weight and recovered from hyperglycemia and hypertension after 23 weeks on a diet of whole grains, traditional Chinese medicinal foods and prebiotics.' As usual, sensationalist reports have been exaggerating the import of this very early investigation, and one wonders about that 'diet of whole grains.' Still, there could be meat in the idea of addressing pathogenic bacteria for the control of excessive weight gain. After all, it wasn't too long ago that a brave scientist insisted in the face of widespread ridicule that peptic ulcers in humans usually are caused by bacterial infections, not by acidic foods."

Comments

excuses

[SuperBanana]

You're not fat because of "genetics".

You're not fat because of bacteria in your gut.

You're not fat because of ANYTHING except long term consumption of more calories than you burn.

Burn more calories than you consume, and you'll lose weight. One of the ways to do this is via exercise, which raises your base metabolism. The other way is via portion control, good breakfasts, and consuming low glycemic index foods.

Re:I though it was over consumption of cals.

[houghi]

There are indeed multiple causes.
1) Eating to much
2) Not moving around enough

I am overweight, yet I do not blame anybody but me. I do not exercise enough and I eat to much and unhealthy. When I bought my car, it started. Instead of walking to the bus/train each day for about 20-30 minutes and then from there to work. Instead of walking to the stores two or three times a week, which took another hour per time, I walk 20 meters to my car, sit in it and then walk 20 meters to my office.

Untill just a few years ago, the majority of people did not have a car. That means that they had to use other means to get around. Each one of them means more walking.

We are lazy. Even moving our arm up and down to brush our teeth is too much, so we use electric devices for that. If you need to go one or two floors up or down, do you walk or take the elevator?

So please stop finding excuses in some rare disease that somebody might have. Move around more and eat less and you will be thinner and healthier. Again: I am overweight and I am not going to look for excuses. If I want to get healthier, I must eat better and exercise more.

And those few you are talking about? I am sure that if they would have exercised more and eaten healthier, they would have no issues with whatever is causing their obesity.

Re:Eating less

[Anonymous Coward]

Occam's razor applies. The only thing that directly affects your weight is what you put into your mouth. Genes and anything else is bullshit. You won't get fat by eating only leaves of salad every day for your entire life no matter how fat your parents are. STOP BELIEVING THERE IS A SECRET BEHIND OBESITY, THERE ISN'T.

Stop fucking blaming the patient! You know why 90%+ of diets fail long term? Because it's FUCKING HARD TO LIVE LIKE THAT ALL YOUR LIFE. If you don't have a weight problem, and if you feel full and satisfied after a normal meal, you will just never understand the INTENSE agony of constantly being hungry and feeling hungry 20 minutes after a FUCKING LARGE MEAL, Yeah sure, if you can live like a buddhist monk and excercise like fucking Rambo for the rest of your life, you can lose weight. You know what though? Most people aren't fucking superhuman. FUCK!

Fucking hard to have a fucking large meal?

I can't help but thinking of the millions of starving people. That's hard. Not being able to resist eating five pizzas a day isn't hard, that's just mental illness.

It's possible to live while being hungry. Especially if you already had a fucking large meal 20 minutes ago. You should try it some time.