Obesity linked to a gut bacteria

Discussion in 'Science and Technology' started by gturner, Dec 19, 2012.

  1. gturner

    gturner Admiral

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    This was not unexpected, as the CDC noted that obesity spreads like a low level infectious disease.

    link
     
  2. Hound of UIster

    Hound of UIster Vice Admiral Admiral

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    And insulin resistance too according to the abstract.
     
  3. gturner

    gturner Admiral

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    If that's true, it also raises the possibiity that obesity has no connecion to diabetes, other than having this common bacterial cause that makes them correlate.
     
  4. farmkid

    farmkid Commodore Commodore

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    I saw this last night. It's very interesting and I'm curious to see how this pans out. I wonder, however, how this fits with the observation that gastric bypass surgery almost always cures Type II diabetes almost immediately (within a day or two) after surgery. Presumably the surgery wouldn't get rid of the bacteria, but perhaps the remodeling of the digestive tract changes the environment of the bacteria enough that it no longer has the same effect. I'll be interested to watch how this unfolds.
     
  5. Robert Maxwell

    Robert Maxwell memelord Premium Member

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    I have never heard that before. Do you have a good link? Sounds interesting.
     
  6. gturner

    gturner Admiral

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    I've heard it before, and though widely noted, I don't think they had a way to explain it. Here's a WebMD link

    Reducing the amount of small intesting should be directly reducing the total load of gut bacteria, and perhaps the surgery is also changing the pH, shifting the balance of floura.
     
  7. RAMA

    RAMA Admiral Admiral

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    Or it could be because people eat too much, or the wrong foods and dont exercise..yeah that too.

    RAMA
     
  8. farmkid

    farmkid Commodore Commodore

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    I've heard about it from a few sources. A person I know who had the surgery was told that by her doctor and experienced it herself. It seems I've seen it mentioned a time or two in scientific journals, although I didn't pay much attention to it at the time so I can't give you any details other than that. It caught my attention more recently when Discover Magazine published an article about it. It's a good article for an interested layman. link
    Well yes, that's been the conventional wisdom for quite some time. The experience of many people and recent research indicates it's not that simple. If you read the linked article you would see that in this case, diet and exercise had nothing to do with the weight gain/loss of the animals or the one guy who were part of the research.
     
  9. GalaxyX

    GalaxyX Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    lol I was about to say the same thing.
     
  10. Robert Maxwell

    Robert Maxwell memelord Premium Member

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    That is empirically not the case for everyone who is obese. How many people are obese primarily due to overeating and lack of exercise is, of course, up for debate.
     
  11. GalaxyX

    GalaxyX Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    I'll give you my take.

    There are a lot of environmental reasons why people are obese. However, it is within the grasp of everyone who wants to lose weight to do so.

    Not everyone can be ripped at 7% bodyfat year round, but most people can get to normal weights, even if on the high of normal?

    If I remember correctly, as a general rule, a man over 20% bf is starting to become overweight. However, obesity doesn't really kick in until the guy is 30%+ bf.

    Some obese people are easily over 50%. That is nuts! that means half the weight you are carrying is just extra fat that you don't need.

    If an obese person subceptible to negative external factors made a bit of effort, while it would be very hard for them to become lean, they could at least get into the 20-30% range and would make a huge difference to their health and lifestyle.
     
  12. Kemaiku

    Kemaiku Admiral Admiral

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    No, it isn't.

    I have two close friends who are overweight through no fault of their own, who cannot lose significant weight no matter what they do.

    And they have been to doctors, dieticians, tried everything and anything short of surgery for more than ten years now and it is very much a genetic problem they cannot shake.
     
  13. GalaxyX

    GalaxyX Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Well, I think one of the problems is that doctors are usually a bunch of morons when it comes to weight loss.

    Really it's a matter of physics and biology.

    The formula to lose weight is: Burn more calories than you eat per day.

    It is almost impossible to not lose weight by following that. It's simple physics and biology (and math).

    Are your friends men or women?
     
  14. Kemaiku

    Kemaiku Admiral Admiral

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    Oh I see, you are clueless, nevermind.
     
  15. GalaxyX

    GalaxyX Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    And you're in denial?
     
  16. jpch

    jpch Commander Red Shirt

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    Very informative wow thx for sharing
     
  17. Robert Maxwell

    Robert Maxwell memelord Premium Member

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    This is simply wrong. You do realize there are medical conditions that prevent normal weight loss, or cause weight gain no matter how little you eat?
     
  18. RAMA

    RAMA Admiral Admiral

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    There may be other mitigating factors, but the fact remains the vast majority of people can lose weight by changing lifestyle. If you look at an extreme case like Biggest Loser on US TV, these are very obese people who often give up and die or use shortcuts like fad diets or stomach stapling. I think even out of this group only 5% would ever have to resort to something that extreme. The show demonstrates that extreme problems can be met with normal weight lose measures, ie: the formula Galaxy uses to create a calorie deficit (albeit extreme exercise) . I like using the BMR weight loss formula, and its almost impossible not to lose weight that way. One extreme client I had lost 15 pounds in a week and a half using this method. He was a person who never had any limits to his eating whims and rose to almost 380 lbs. He lost 70lbs before some personal problems took him away from his weight loss goal. No fads needed.

    RAMA
     
  19. GalaxyX

    GalaxyX Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

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    Yes I know there are conditions. Hypothyroidism for one. If a doctor has diagnosed this as being the condition, then why doesn't he prescribe medication to correct it?

    From my personal experience, doctors tend to take the safest routes to treatment. So if an obese person has a genuinely medical condition, the doctor will likely inform the patient but won't offer medications, rather will suggest the same old rhetoric (eat more veggies, don't eat junk food or red meats, etc).

    Another thing is that doctors may be genuinely afraid to tell people to just put some fucking effort and get into a gym, because the patients might be highly insulted and put in a formal complaint against them. So it's easier just to humor the patient and let them continue to be obese.

    In extreme cases, gastric bypass surgeries and such can be done. I remember when I tore my tendon. The doctors did not actively help me. I had to research EVERYTHING and basically tell them what I needed, and had to push for a surgery they didn't want to do. Why? Because they rather just let me stay a cripple than have to do actual work? I have no idea. I'm almost back to normal now, but if I had just trusted in "doctor knows best" I'd still be a cripple right now.
     
  20. RAMA

    RAMA Admiral Admiral

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    Actually this is a consistent problem, your average doctor isn't very good with obesity issues, specialists, nutritionists, trainers are often much more useful.

    There's a reason there are a lot more obese people today than 10, 20, 30, 50 years ago, and its not becuase our genetics have suddenly gone haywire, its behavior, specifically usually behavior in an atmosphere of abundance.