Today in Lazy Fatasses

Gut Bacteria May Spur Obesity, Research Suggests:
Intestinal bacteria may contribute to obesity and metabolic syndrome, a new study in mice suggests.

"It has been assumed that the obesity epidemic in the developed world is driven by an increasingly sedentary lifestyle and the abundance of low-cost, high-calorie foods. However, our results suggest that excess caloric consumption is not only a result of undisciplined eating but that intestinal bacteria contribute to changes in appetite and metabolism," senior study author Andrew Gewirtz, an associate professor of pathology and laboratory medicine at Emory University School of Medicine, said in a university news release.

He and his colleagues found that increased appetite and insulin resistance can be transferred from one mouse to another via intestinal bacteria.
B-b-but...CALORIES IN! CALORIES OUT! CALORIES IN! CALORIES OUT! CAL! O! RIES! IN! CAL! O! RIES! OUT! AIEEEEEEEEEE!

It seems to me I read a similar study years ago about intestinal chemistry, if not specifically bacteria, affecting the absorption of fats.

It's almost like there's natural variation among humans or something.

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