Obesity and gut flora

摘要

The intestinal bacteria in obese humans and mice differ from those in lean individuals. Are these bacteria involved in how we regulate body weight, and are they a factor in the obesity epidemic? Much has been said and written about the sequencing of the human genome, and the research avenues that it has opened up. But our own genome is not the only one with which we need to be concerned. In particular, trillions of bacteria — collectively referred to as the microbiota — reside in our gastrointestinal tracts (Fig. 1), and each brings its own genome to this genetic party.