The Medical Freedom Channel

“Maybe it’s germs that are making you fat. Researchers found a strong connection between obesity and the levels of certain types of bacteria in the gut. That could mean that someday there will be new ways of treating obesity that go beyond the standard advice of diet and exercise. According to two studies being published in today’s issue of the journal Nature, both obese mice and people had more of one type of bacteria and less of another kind. A ‘microbial component’ appears to contribute to obesity, said study lead author Jeffrey Gordon, director of Washington University’s Center for Genome Sciences. Obese humans and mice had a lower percentage of a family of bacteria called Bacteroidetes and more of a type of bacteria called Firmicutes, Gordon and his colleagues found. The researchers aren’t sure if more Firmicutes make you fat or if people who are obese grow more of that type of bacteria.” (12/21/06)