Investigators first discovered that an imbalanced gut flora could lead to obesity in animals. In genetically engineered obese mice, scientists found a class of gut microbes called Firmicutes was consistently overrepresented. They discovered that the Firmicutes are too efficient at extracting energy from food, breaking down fiber and even increasing the absorption of dietary fat. In this way, gut microbes could cause retention of body weight without the animal eating an extra morsel of food.

Investigators were also able to transfer obesity to germ-free mice via fecal transplantation from obese mouse donors, and even modify the expression of obesity via diet.

A Western high-fat, sugary diet facilitates the colonization of obesogenic flora. Again in mice, research teams were able to show that consuming a Western diet not only led to obesity, but that it also transformed the gut flora into an obesogenic mix in as little as 24 hours. http://www.medicaldaily.com/imbalances-our-gut-flora-contribute-obesity-epidemic-how-do-we-fix-341106

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