A truly facininating side to the obesity story is the relationship of gut flora to potential weight gain. Many believe that having an abnormal balance of gut bacteria can contribute to obesity through a multitude of mechanisms. One of the simplest explanations is that gut bacteria allow for more substrates (e.g. glucose or fatty acids) to be absorbed. Here is a summary of a recent study that came out in the JCEM: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/781943. The question that I always have is, are we looking at the chicken or the egg? Or does being obese eventually change your gut microbes? What we need is a study that can track people closely both before, during, and after developing obesity. Maybe then we can see a significant change in flora that precedes the obesity.
Just my thoughts...
