by Laymah Cisco
We’ve all heard that eating wrongly or eating too much is responsible for obesity. However, a new study shows that gut bacteria could be responsible for decreasing brown fat activities in our bodies. Brown fat is one of two types of adipose tissue (fat) in the human body, and its function is to burn calories. White fat is the second type of fat which resides around the waist and buttocks and stores calories. The amount of brown and white fat found in people varies depending on what group they fall under. According to a recent discovery, “healthy women have the most brown fat, while overweight adult men have the least” (Paddock).
The bacteria referred to earlier are trillions of bacteria in our gut needed to digest food and make vitamins. In a series of experiments, regular mice with normal gut bacteria were compared to bacteria-free mice. The bacteria-free mice were found to have more active brown fat. It was also discovered that large-intestine bacteria seemed to be associated with gender differences in weight where the male mice were fatter than the females. However, in the bacteria-free mice, there were no differences found. Researchers have proposed a theory stating:
[G]ut bacteria contribute to host energy metabolism by producing short chain fatty acids through the fermentation of carbohydrates that would remain undigested if they weren’t present. When the bacteria are not there, the short chain fatty acids are not produced, and this disrupts a number of metabolic processes, thereby triggering calorie burning (lipolysis activity) in both the brown fat and the liver. (Paddock)
What this simply means is that because white fat isn’t present to protectively store away calories, they are exposed to brown fat’s calorie-burning function. This knowledge of the absence of gut bacteria could aid in the prevention of obesity in a similar process to that of the given experiments. The assumption is always that eating too much or eating the wrong things cause a gain in weight. I found this article so fascinating because it goes beyond the obvious of what we eat is what makes us fat. It dives into what’s really responsible for the fat. I wonder what it would be like for people to function purely on brown fat? Could we survive on it?
SOURCE:
Catharine Paddock PhD. (2012, February 16). “Gut Bacteria May Have Role In Obesity.” Medical News Today. Retrieved from <http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/ 241725.php.>
By: Erica Owen on April 2, 2012 at 3:32 pm
I agree and also find this article very interesting as well. Most people always assume that obesity occurs from eating an excessive amount of unhealthy food and not exercising. However, this article shows us that there is more to obesity then what meets the eye. I never knew that there were two different types of fat and that each type of fat plays a different role within the body. White fat is the “bad” fat which stores calories around our waist and buttocks while brown fat is the “good” fat because it burns these calories. What I got out of this article is that since gut bacteria causes short chain fatty acids our body is storing these calories, but if this bacteria is not there then the short chain fatty acids are not produces which then leads to calories burning within the brown fat. I enjoyed reading this article and though that it was summarized very well and was easy to understand. The questions asked at the end where also very interesting and had the reader really thinking. I don’t not know the answers to these questions however, after reading this article I do not think that it is possible to actually survive on brown fat alone, but I could be wrong.
By: Stephanie Roman on April 5, 2012 at 1:28 pm
This was very interesting to find out. We were all so focused on what we were eating and how much of it we ate as the cause of obesity when in reality it there is another more important factor that contributes to this. I never knew that there was brown fat and white fat and that bacteria in our guts aids in increasing obesity. It would be interesting to see how people who have always struggled with their weight and maintained a strict diet, would do with this information. I also wonder what the result would be if everyone functioned with just brown fat.
By: Charles Thomas on April 7, 2012 at 4:01 pm
This article sparked my attention because I was unaware that there was more than one type of stored fat. It is also interesting to see how these two different fats behaved. The white fat simply stores the fat where the brown fat has a calorie burning process that speeds up the metabolism. I would like to see what causes each type of these fats and how the production of each could be controlled.
By: Josh on April 10, 2012 at 9:03 pm
I would assume that we could not survive simply because gut bacteria acts as a probiotic including LAB and bifdobacteria. Some of these strains may affect pathogens by ‘competitive inhibition’. An example would be that gut bacteria may improve immunoglobulin (IgA); an antibody. In my opinion no gut bacteria as its risks, and is not a healthy and sustainable idea.
By: Jasmine James on April 12, 2012 at 3:30 pm
I think it is interesting to know that there are trillions of bacteria in our gut which is needed in the aid of digestion of food and also needed for the consumption of vitamins and nutrients. I always thought that the faster ones metabolism, the less likely they would be to have stored fat. The article stated the more active brown fat which helps to regulate metabolism process triggers calories burning, actually causes obesity. This absent of the brown fat will than cause an absence of the gut which causes prevention of obesity.
By: Kadi Cisse on April 24, 2012 at 3:17 pm
Wow, I found this article quite interesting. I am guilty of thinking that obesity is strictly caused by the food we eat. I would have never guessed that we had bacteria in our guts that played a major part in our weight. I wonder if diet pills has some form of artificial active brown fat in it to help maintain weight.
By: Meghan Lentine on April 26, 2012 at 3:40 pm
This article has a lot of interesting points, but part of me can’t help and think that researchers and ordinary civilians are looking for another excuse to explain why people are obese. Yes, this article creates a wonderful point and may very well be the reason that people are overweight, but it may be the reason for only some people. I think it’s important to remember that people are obese because today more people play video games indoors as opposed to going outside, that the movie theatre is much more comfortable than the treadmill and that our economy sucks, eating healthy is expensive and people are stressed out. So I think it’s important that before our society finds another excuse for why people are fat, people take a look at what they’re eating and maybe learn to blame that.
By: Chiyo on June 25, 2012 at 2:12 am
I wonder if this could help explain why some people have a slow metabolism? My friend exercises, eats healthy, follows a vegetarian diet, however, if she takes a break or enjoys a treat, she swears that she gains five pounds. She has so much difficulty keeping off weight despite her healthy life style. Yet some of our other friends do not even attempt to exercise or eat healthy and they are skinny.