- Gut bugs that raise the risk of obesity thrive in low temperatures
- This could explain why 25% of UK women and 22% of UK men are obese
- In humans, obesity is associated with two different
types of bacteria normally found in the intestine – the Bacteroidetes
and the Firmicutes - Obese people tend to have more Firmicutes and fewer Bacteroidetes
- People further from the equator also have more of the bad microbes – Firmicutes – and less of the fat-busting ones – Bacteroidetes
By
Emma Innes
19:04 EST, 11 February 2014
|
09:47 EST, 12 February 2014
British people are the fattest in Europe because of the cold climate, according to new research.
Scientists say gut bugs that raise the risk of obesity thrive where the temperature is lowest.
It may help explain why almost a quarter of UK women, and more than 22 per cent of men, are obese.
Britain is the fattest national in Europe because of the cold climate, new research suggests
In humans obesity is associated with two types of bacteria normally found in the intestine – the Bacteroidetes and the Firmicutes. Obese people have more of the latter and fewer of the former.
Now, a study of 1,020 healthy people from 23 countries, including the UK, has found those further from the equator have more of the bad microbes and less of the fat-busting ones.
Graduate student Taichi Suzuki, who conducted the study with evolutionary biologist Dr Michael Worobey, said: ‘Since there is evidence humans have adapted to colder climates by increasing their body mass, we tested whether Firmicutes increase and Bacteroidetes decrease with latitude.
‘We found a trend that humans living in colder regions tend to have more obese associated gut microbial community compared to warmer regions. This suggests “healthy microbiota†may differ in different geographic regions.’
In earlier research by other U.S. scientists, experiments on mice bred to be genetically obese found the relative proportion of Bacteroidetes compared with Firmicutes was also less.
Lab animals with no gut bacteria then had either Bacteroidetes or Firmicutes injected into their digestive systems and while both groups then gained weight, the weight gain with Firmicutes was significantly higher.
The researchers say gut bugs that raise the risk of obesity thrive where the temperature is lowest
Remarkably, when obese humans were put on a diet, the same group found the proportion of Firmicutes decreased, and Bacteroidetes increased, in line with their loss of body fat.
It is believed the type of bug found to be dominant in obese people may be more efficient at ‘harvesting energy’ from food in their intestines.
Mr Suzuki, of the University of California Berkeley, who worked with Dr Worobey, of the University of Arizona, added: ‘It seems plausible an increase in energy extraction and fat storage may be more important for animals in colder regions compared with animals in warmer regions as an environmental adaptation to climate.
‘This surprising link between large scale geography and human gut microbial composition merits further investigation.’
The study is published in the Royal Society journal Biology Letters.
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topcat,
dublin, Ireland,
14 minutes ago
Thats as good an excuse as any.
Aston Manor,
Somewhere, United Kingdom,
27 minutes ago
Have lived in Finland, Norway and Sweden, that is the biggest load of rubbish I’ve read. People from Scandinavia (Northern Hemisphere) are the slimmest of all Europeans!!!
anonymouse,
London,
33 minutes ago
….and the junk food, over processed food, over-eating, beer, lack of exercise, etc. has not a thing to do with it! OK!
zato,
london, United Kingdom,
37 minutes ago
Those pies are full of fat making bacteria!! Stop the excuse machine,when its cold we eat stodge,who wants a lettuce in February!
James,
London,
52 minutes ago
I have had a large gut and chest for years, as a man it’s embarrassing. And it was only in the last few months when I stopped eating junk,drinking beer on weekends, and most days of the week brisk walking for 60 minutes that the weight started to come off, the weather had nothing to do with it, eat less junk food and walk more, there is no secret to weight loss, and anybody can do it. It’s free.
A.S.A.P,
nottingham, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
Simply due to a lack of common sense,exercise and gluttony.
MAROONUNIT,
Edinburgh, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
More tosh from the Ministry of Time Wasting!
Ray Smith,
Nottingham,
1 hour ago
Well in a country in the northern hemisphere where snow can disrupt a cricket match at the beginning of June we can expect anything, however does this theory apply to Siberia etc.
Poppy,
Malaga,
1 hour ago
Sorry but the, Obesity epidemic is recent, and cold weather has been around
The whole of my life. 70 odd years.
Don’t give the greedy uncontrolled eaters, another excuse.
Red,
Manchester, United Kingdom,
1 hour ago
The microbes living in your intestines are primarily determined by what you eat, because you are feeding them too. Fat people are fat because of what they eat, which also happens to change their gut flora.
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