Biodesign Institute, Colleagues of Mayo Clinic (Arizona), and the University of Arizona collaborated with each other and came up with a nerve-racking link between microbial composition of the human gut and morbid obesity.
The research involved analyzing three varied groups: one group with individuals having an acceptable weight; the other group was those individuals who underwent bypass surgery; and the last group comprised individuals who were morbidly obese.
Dr. John DiBaise, a gastroenterologist from Mayo Clinic (Arizona), developed a greater fascination to analyze the underlying mechanisms of obesity and its conceivable alternatives to treat obesity without gastric surgery, for gastric surgery being the only long-term treatment by far available for treating morbid obesity.
To carry out his research in the right direction, Dr. DiBaise demanded the expertise of Bruce Rittmann (Ph.D, environmental engineer and a member of National Academy of Engineering) to examine microbial populations – an important consideration for cleaning up pollutants and generating renewable bioenergy. Bruce, in turn, employed Rosa Krajmalnik-Brown (Assistant professor of civil and environmental engineering) to share her expertise on microbial ecology and help them with this project. Then all the three researchers influenced seed funding from Mayo Clinic and ASU in order to combine their talent and reach at a conclusive study on this project.
DiBiase invited 9 middle-aged volunteers to participate in this study and divided them into three groups – one with normal weight; the other with bypass surgery undergone; and the last group with morbid obesity.
The hypothesis concluded by the research team is that the differing microbial populations in the gut facilitate the body in yielding greater energy, thus making people more vulnerable to developing obesity. Though these differing microbial populations are at a surface level negligible, they can however cause maximum damage over a period of time in terms of influencing body weight. This theory of these researchers is further supported when the participants were analyzed for the microbial populations – the result revealed that obese patients showed their microbial composition to be considerably altered in comparison to participants who were normal in weight and those who underwent bypass surgery.
To have a greater peep on the working of the microbial populations in the human gut and its associated links with obesity, visit http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/01/090119210437.htm