Gut Bacteria could be the reason childhood obesity continues to soar

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If your child is overweight or obese It could be the result of bacteria that lives in the gut,

a new study has found.

Researchers at Wake Forest Baptist Health share it’s not just calories that leads to
overweight children.

Since the1970s obesity rates among children have tripled, according to the CDC
and the statistics continue to rise each year.

The conclusion, published in the journal Obesity Reviews, is the

result of published research  from multiple animal and human studies.

Calories might not be the culprit 

Yadav, assistant professor of molecular medicine at Wake Forest School of Medicine,

shared that over the past decade studies have increaqsingly pointed to the bacteria living in
our gut being not just associated with obesity, but also one of the causes.

A Penn State study has also linked bacteria in the mouth of children as a potential predictor of

obesity.

Yadav, Ph.D who led the review said:

“The medical community used to think that obesity is a result of consuming too many calories.”

Other factors that can affect whether or not your child will be overweight or obese
include mom’s overall health, what you eat during pregnancy,

use of antibiotics, whether your child is delivered Cesarean, exercise
during pregnancy and whether or not you breast-feed or give your baby formula.

Yadav feels the information can help healthcare professionals talk to patients
about factors that could be altered to help curb childhood obesity rates. 

Bacteria in the intestines play a big role in immunity. It has long been believed

the gut harbors the key to overall health.

Not only does our gut tell us when we are full; thanks to these millions of bacteria,

but the microbiome in our gut also help produce essential vitamins.

Read: Yogurt and fiber could prevent this deadly cancer

Could probiotics help?

Probiotics, such as those found in yogurt and fermented food

have also been a focus of research to discovder if helping the body

restore so-called good bacteria could aid weight loss.

Animals have been found to lose weight when the bacteria in the gut change.

Women lost some belly fat in a couple of studies by drinking kefir or eating

yogurt with Lactobacillus.

Human research hasn’t been all that promising. Yadav hopes this

new study finding could lead to  even more research.  

The way the gut reacts with immune cells in the body; passed to

children from mom might be a cause of childhood obesity that has been

escalating annually by 2.3 percent.