Bacteria in the Gut May Predict Risks for Obesity

Gut bacteria may predict whether or not a person become obese, according to research published Thursday.

The study which was published in the journal Nature analyzed gut bacteria of 169 obese Danish people and 123 Danish people who were not obese.

The research from an international team of scientists found that a diet heavy in fiber could change the makeup of germs in the gut, making it easier for people to lose weight.

"We know gut bacteria affect health and obesity, but we don't know exactly how," said Dusko Ehrlich, co-author of the two new studies and coordinator of the International Human Microbiome Standards project.

The research found that people who put on the most weight lack certain types of bacterial species or have them only at very low levels.

"This opens ways to develop bacterial therapies to fight weight gain," Ehrlich said.

Experts also believe that gut, where the body processes food, is crucial to weight gain and weight loss.

"It is well known that bacteria in our gut play an important role in our health and well-being, possibly as important as our own immune response and proper nutrition," said Jeffrey Cirillo, professor at Texas A&M Health Science Center's department of microbial pathogenesis and immunology.