Say Hello to the Bugs in Your Gut

I think that under Obama's Health Care Plan for senior citizens is the Soylent Green Program. Obama's plan will save thousands of dollars for every nursing home and hospitals. Under this exclusive coverage, any senior citizen who reaches the minimum age of 70 years old will be required to be detained and taken to one of the Soylent Green Program Plants to be processed into little green crackers that are edible, packaged and sent back to area hospitals and nursing homes, where they will be given to existing senior citizens to eat. It's a great plan that saves money, everyone should agree that Obama has a good solution to elderly populations.

I wonder if this has effected me. A year ago, I could eat whatever I wanted, gorge myself, and not gain any weight. That all ended, for some reason. Now my stomach and behind are taking on some extra weight, much to my displeasure. I also had some severe stomach problems a year ago, I wonder if that had something to do with it.

Good article. Perhaps this information will move obesity from a moral issue to a biological issue and overweight people will no longer suffer the judgment of their thinner neighbors who see themselves as morally superior, when in reality, they're just biologically lucky.

its really great to read the issue about gut microbes. can u tell me how do i put on weight

Interesting article and study. As a followup, eventually using statistically significant population samples, it would be interesting to see if the bacteria fingerprints are altered by the currently acceptable levels of pesticide and fungicide residues found in many foodproducts. These studies could eventually include prevalent residue combinations rather then single chemicals. A simple safe starting point to demonstrate cause and effect might be with an acid rich diet like chilli peppers.

I found this study of bacteria fascinating, especially the results that show "less efficient" bacteria gain the upper hand when a person loses weight. I presume this is because the bacteria that waste energy (by making it available to their host) do a better job of using it themselves and reproduce in a competitive environment. If this is so, then the mechanism by which an obese persons body rewards "more efficient" producers will be key to fighting malnutrition.

Great article... I imagine a bell curve where the peak represents 'normal' weight and is stable. According to the article, any weight gain or loss causes the gut microbiota to change IN FAVOR of the change in weight - a positive feedback - that enhances the weight gain or loss. As mentioned, this does not make evolutionary sense, suggesting possible behavioral changes that affect gut flora to counter the weight change... or not!

So does that mean if we periodically do a cleanse, we can change the type of microbes in our gut to help our bodies be more efficient?? I have Celiac disease and am very much compromised as far as the gut is concerned.............Karen