News
ICViewExpert PerspectivesMedical World NewsPathogen PlaybookVideosWebinars
Conference CoverageConference ListingAPIC Chapters
Infection Control TodaySupplements And Featured Publications
CME/CEEditorial Advisory BoardJob BoardPartnersSponsoredWhitepapers
Subscribe
Educator of the Year Official Rules2024 Educator of the Year Winner2023 Educator of the Year WinnerEducator of the Year
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
Spotlight -
  • IC Trends
  • Bug of the Month
  • Featured Articles
  • Featured Columns
  • Pathogen Playbook
Advanced TechnologyAdvanced TechnologyAdvanced Technology
Bug of the Month
COVID-19
Environmental ServicesEnvironmental Services
HAIs
Hand Hygiene
IC Trends
Long-Term CareLong-Term Care
Operating Room
Personal Protective EquipmentPersonal Protective Equipment
Policy
PreventionPreventionPreventionPrevention
Sterile ProcessingSterile Processing
Surface Disinfection
Vascular Access
    • News
    • Subscribe
Advertisement

Researchers Examine Possible Link Between Bacteria Found in the Human Digestive System and Obesity

April 2, 2008
Article

Obesity is more than a cosmetic concern because it increases a person’s risk for developing high blood pressure, diabetes and many other serious health problems. It’s well understood that consuming more calories than you expend through exercise and daily activities causes weight gain. But with about one in every three American adults now considered obese, researchers are attempting to identify additional factors that affect a person’s tendency to gain and retain excess weight. In the April issue of Mayo Clinic Proceedings, researchers from Mayo Clinic Arizona and ArizonaStateUniversity examine the role that bacteria in the human gastrointestinal tract play in regulating weight and the development of obesity.

Known as gut microbiota, the trillions of bacteria that populate the human gastrointestinal tract perform a variety of chores. These “friendly” microbes help extract calories from what we eat, help store these calories for later use, and provide energy and nutrients for the production of new bacteria to continue this work.

According to John DiBaise, MD, a Mayo Clinic Arizona gastroenterologist and lead author of the Mayo Clinic Proceedings article, several animal studies suggest that gut microbiota are involved in regulating weight and that modifying these bacteria could one day be a treatment option for obesity.

One study cited by the authors observed that young, conventionally-reared mice have a significantly higher body fat content than a laboratory-bred, germ-free strain of mice that lack these bacteria, even though they consumed less food than their germ-free counterparts. When the same research group transplanted gut microbiota from normal mice into germ-free mice, the germ-free mice experienced a 60 percent increase in body fat within two weeks, without any increase in food consumption or obvious differences in energy expenditure.

Another animal study reviewed by the authors focused on the gene content of the gut microbiota in mice. Finding more end products of fermentation and fewer calories in the feces of obese mice led researchers to speculate that the gut microbiota in the obese mice help extract additional calories from ingested food.

“These results suggest that differences exist in the gut microbiota of obese versus lean mice, raising the possibility that the manipulation of gut microbiota could be a useful strategy for regulating energy balance in obese people,” says DiBaise.

Although information on the link between gut microbiota and obesity in human subjects is more limited, the authors present some evidence supporting this connection. One study cited placed 12 obese participants in a weight-loss program for a year, randomly assigning them to either a fat-restricted or carbohydrate-restricted, low-calorie diet. Researchers noted distinct differences between lean and obese participants when they monitored the type and number of bacteria found in participants’ stool samples before and after the diet changes.

Another study cited followed children from birth to age 7 and analyzed stool samples collected at 6 and 12 months. The children who were normal weight at age 7 had distinctly different bacteria in their samples from those collected from overweight-obese children, suggesting that differences in the composition of the gut microbiota precede overweight-obesity.

DiBaise says that much more research is needed to clarify a number of issues related to the relationship between the gut microbiota and obesity. Future studies need to establish whether the small changes in caloric extraction seen in recent studies can produce measurable weight differences in humans. Second, researchers need to prove or disprove the possible relationship between the gut microbiota and the regulation of weight.

“In particular, it is essential to demonstrate unequivocally whether differences in gut microbiota in obese versus lean people are the cause or the result of obesity,” says DiBaise.

Finally, the authors note that the next wave of research should explore the safety and feasibility of modifying the gut microbiota in clinical trials involving humans.

“Although clearly no substitute for proper diet and exercise, manipulation of the gut microbiota may represent a novel approach for treating obesity that has few adverse effects,” says DiBaise.

Source: Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research

Recent Videos
Pathogen Playbook Presenter: Sharon Ward-Fore, BS, MS, MT(ASCP), CIC, FAPIC
Mark Wiencek, PhD
Rebecca Crapanzano-Sigafoos, DrPH, CIC, AL-CIP, FAPIC
The CDC’s updated hospital respiratory reporting requirement has added new layers of responsibility for infection preventionists. Karen Jones, MPH, RN, CIC, FAPIC, clinical program manager at Wolters Kluwer, breaks down what it means and how IPs can adapt.
Studying for the CIC using a digital tablet and computer (Adobe Stock 335828989 by NIKCOA)
Infection Control Today's Conversations with the HSPA President, Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST
Infection Control Today's Conversations with the HSPA President, Arlene Bush, CRCST, CER, CIS, SME, DSMD, CRMST
Cheron Rojo, BS, FCS, CHL,  CER, CFER, CRCST
Matthias Tschoerner, Dr Sc
Standardizing Cleaning and Disinfection
Related Content

Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH; Brandon M. Gantt, MHA, CRCST, CHL, CER, LSSGBH; and Jill E. Holdsworth, MS, CIC, FAPIC, NREMT, CRCST, CHL

Lumens 2.0 Study Results: Borescopes Reveal Hidden Challenges of Cleaning Lumened Surgical Instruments

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 8th 2025
Article

A groundbreaking study presented at HSPA25 and APIC25 exposed hidden contamination lurking inside orthopedic and neurosurgical instruments—even after cleaning. The Lumens 2.0 research highlights why infection prevention must look deeper than surface-level protocols.


Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) logo  (Logo credit to CBIC)

CBIC Seeks Input for Job Analysis Survey for the a-IPC Certification

Infection Control Today® Editorial Staff
July 8th 2025
Article

The Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) is calling on infection prevention professionals to help shape the future of the a-IPC exam through a vital new job analysis survey.


The Clean Bite

Why You Should Always Ask About Sterilization at the Dentist

Sherrie Busby, EDDA, CDSO, CDIPC
July 7th 2025
Article

Patients rarely question sterilization protocols at the dentist, yet it is essential for safety. The Clean Bite explores why asking matters, what to look for, and how to start the conversation confidently.


A Profession Without a Path, Part 2

Broadening the Path: Diverse Educational Routes Into Infection Prevention Careers

Shahbaz Salehi, MD, MPH, MSHIA;Anna Arifin, MD, MBA, MT, CIC
July 4th 2025
Article

Once dominated by nurses, infection prevention now welcomes professionals from public health, lab science, and respiratory therapy—each bringing unique expertise that strengthens patient safety and IPC programs.


Stretcher and HAIs  (Image courtesy of author through AI)

How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels

Donald Sipp, MBA, RESE, CHESP, CHTI-2, CMIP, PMP
July 3rd 2025
Article

Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.


Hot Topics With Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC

Hot Topics for IPC on July 2, 2025

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC
July 2nd 2025
Article

This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ASPR, AMR, vaccines, and a study on AMR and livestock manure from Michigan State University.

Related Content

Cori L. Ofstead, MSPH; Brandon M. Gantt, MHA, CRCST, CHL, CER, LSSGBH; and Jill E. Holdsworth, MS, CIC, FAPIC, NREMT, CRCST, CHL

Lumens 2.0 Study Results: Borescopes Reveal Hidden Challenges of Cleaning Lumened Surgical Instruments

Tori Whitacre Martonicz
July 8th 2025
Article

A groundbreaking study presented at HSPA25 and APIC25 exposed hidden contamination lurking inside orthopedic and neurosurgical instruments—even after cleaning. The Lumens 2.0 research highlights why infection prevention must look deeper than surface-level protocols.


Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) logo  (Logo credit to CBIC)

CBIC Seeks Input for Job Analysis Survey for the a-IPC Certification

Infection Control Today® Editorial Staff
July 8th 2025
Article

The Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC) is calling on infection prevention professionals to help shape the future of the a-IPC exam through a vital new job analysis survey.


The Clean Bite

Why You Should Always Ask About Sterilization at the Dentist

Sherrie Busby, EDDA, CDSO, CDIPC
July 7th 2025
Article

Patients rarely question sterilization protocols at the dentist, yet it is essential for safety. The Clean Bite explores why asking matters, what to look for, and how to start the conversation confidently.


A Profession Without a Path, Part 2

Broadening the Path: Diverse Educational Routes Into Infection Prevention Careers

Shahbaz Salehi, MD, MPH, MSHIA;Anna Arifin, MD, MBA, MT, CIC
July 4th 2025
Article

Once dominated by nurses, infection prevention now welcomes professionals from public health, lab science, and respiratory therapy—each bringing unique expertise that strengthens patient safety and IPC programs.


Stretcher and HAIs  (Image courtesy of author through AI)

How Contaminated Is Your Stretcher? The Hidden Risks on Hospital Wheels

Donald Sipp, MBA, RESE, CHESP, CHTI-2, CMIP, PMP
July 3rd 2025
Article

Despite routine disinfection, hospital surfaces, such as stretchers, remain reservoirs for harmful microbes, according to several recent studies. From high-touch areas to damaged mattresses and the effectiveness of antimicrobial coatings, researchers continue to uncover persistent risks in environmental hygiene, highlighting the critical need for innovative, continuous disinfection strategies in health care settings.


Hot Topics With Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC

Hot Topics for IPC on July 2, 2025

Saskia v. Popescu, PhD, MPH, MA, CIC, FAPIC
July 2nd 2025
Article

This Hot Topics for IPC covers the latest on ASPR, AMR, vaccines, and a study on AMR and livestock manure from Michigan State University.

Advertise
About Us
Editorial Board
Contact Us
Job Board
Terms and Conditions
Privacy
Do Not Sell My Personal Information
Contact Info

2 Commerce Drive
Cranbury, NJ 08512

609-716-7777

© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.
Home
About Us
News