Keeping the Disease at Bay

[Revolution]

The Straight Story (38,527 posts)

Scientists link obesity to gut bacteria

Scientists link obesity to gut bacteria

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.”

http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/0b7af978-493a-11e2-9225-00144feab49a.html#axzz2FVzN6j7G

Apparently, Denis Leary's bit about eating to keep the disease at bay isn't really a bit anymore.

Seriously, shoveling copius amounts of food into your mouth every moment of every day for whatever reason doesn't make you fat. Food, make you fat... How could this be? It's much more likely some kind of bacteria in your gut that makes you magically blow up to 400 freaking pounds. 

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022029863

[Celtic Rose]

It amazes me that "scientists" are still looking for outside causes of obesity.  There are a small number of people with endocrine issues who may struggle more to lose weight, but diet and exercise really will work for anybody eventually. 

I read somewhere that the average Amish woman averages at least 14,000 steps per day, and the average Amish man at least 18,000.  Compare that to the average 5,000-6,000 that most Americans take and you can see why we are getting fat.  Our ancestors had to move to provide for themselves.  Daily chores required significant caloric expenditure.  Now we can sit on our butts all day.  Our bodies are designed to like calorie dense food, because it used to be required for our survival.  Now we have to either eat less or move more. 

[jukin]

Anything to get those government grants?

I'm just an engineer that understands energy balances and not a fantasy scientist.  So I will try to educate fatass DUchebags,  if more water goes into a bucket with a small hole in the bottom than goes out of it, the bucket fills up. If more energy (calories) goes into a body than is used the body fills up with fat.

Well as long as fatass DUchebags can blame something, ANYTHING else for their poor life decisions they will .
.
On edit, I have seen the absolute whales tha infest the DUmp on the pic threads. All the anecdotal evidence I need.

[CactusCarlos]

I read somewhere that the average Amish woman averages at least 14,000 steps per day, and the average Amish man at least 18,000. 

You might be onto something - can I get a cool hat as well?

[Randy]

You might be onto something - can I get a cool hat as well?

You can have the hat, I want the shotgun. 

[FiddyBeowulf]

“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.”

This is how the Zombie Apocalypse will start. Some scientist will make a "cure", people lose weight, then too much weight and then never ending hunger for "brainzzzzzz...".

[GOBUCKS]

This is how the Zombie Apocalypse will start. Some scientist will make a "cure", people lose weight, then too much weight and then never ending hunger for "brainzzzzzz...".

I can understand a hunger for brains, no problem. Squirrel brains are great.

What I can't figure out is how they get the strength to bite throuh a skull.

[miskie]

"During our clinical studies, we found that Enterobacter, a genus of opportunistic, endotoxinproducing pathogens (Sanders and Sanders, 1997),
made up 35% of the gut bacteria in a morbidly obese volunteer (weight 174.8 kg, body mass index 58.8 kg m 2) suffering from diabetes, hypertension and other serious metabolic deteriorations (Table 1).The volunteer lost 30.1 kg after 9 weeks, and 51.4 kg after 23 weeks, on a diet composed of whole grains, traditional Chinese medicinal foods and prebiotics (WTP diet, Supplementary Information; Supplementary Figure 1), with continued amelioration of hyperinsulinemia, hyperglycemia and hypertension until most metabolic parameters improved to normal ranges (Table 1). After 9 weeks on the WTP diet, this Enterobacter population in the volunteer’s gut reduced to 1.8%, and became undetectable by the end of the 23-week trial"

http://www.nature.com/ismej/journal/vaop/ncurrent/pdf/ismej2012153a.pdf

Okay - So, they put this guy on a pretty severe diet, and he lost 113 pounds over a period of 23 weeks.

One. The guy is still a hefty 272 pounds.
Two. The guy lost an average of five pounds a week.

Since he started off at 385, five pounds a week isn't all that unusual. I suspect he could have matched that result by walking his ass around the block a few times.

[Wineslob]

Let me get this right, they make a fatass eat a better diet, fatass loses weight, but it's gut bacteria that gave him the shits that's the answer?

OK

[vesta111]

Let me get this right, they make a fatass eat a better diet, fatass loses weight, but it's gut bacteria that gave him the shits that's the answer?

OK

Been wondering about this for some time. 

Take 2 people with different genetics from each other.  Same height, age and bone density.  Both eat the same diet, get the same exercise and one develops a beer gut but does not drink, the other drinks but does not get the gut .

So what the heck is going on, is this genetic, no matter what one does they have the DNA of a long dead relative ?

Is this what we call reincarnation or ever lasting life ?

[Wineslob]

As far as I'm concerned the whole "genetic" explanation is..................BS, nothing more than a cop-out.

Hell even one of the wives on 'Sister Wives" (the blonde) is using this as a "Oh well, nothing I can do about it, it's genetic, now excuse me while I pound down these mashed potatoes".