Does a bug in our gut make us fat? – Los Angeles Times
Does a bug in our gut make us fat?
The obese have higher levels of bacteria that free up more calories.
By Thomas H. Maugh II, Times Staff Writer
December 21, 2006

Obese people have higher levels of unusually efficient bacteria in their guts than lean people do, offering a possible explanation for why they get fat, researchers reported today.

Humans need bacteria in their guts to help convert otherwise indigestible foods into a form that is digestible, and the bacteria in obese people are better at the process, a team from Washington University in St. Louis reported in two papers published in the journal Nature.