In the last few years scientists around the world have begun to discover the remarkable truth behind why so many of us are fat – and getting fatter..
..and it’s not why we thought
There was much talk some years ago about our genes making us fat – for some people this even became an excuse. It was something I heard a lot – “it’s not my fault, it’s my genes – I was born that way”.
“it’s not my fault, it’s my genes – I was born that way”
Well for the most part it was an excuse – and while there are some interesting discoveries linked to our genes – including some linked to body weight, actually 99.9% of our DNA is identical to our neighbour whether they’re fat or thin.
However looking back at this now – there is some truth to it, only it’s not your genes making you fat, but the genes and make up of the bacteria and microbes that live inside you.
Each of us is home to huge numbers of bacteria and micro organisms that live mainly in our intestines. Counter to popular perception only a small fractions of bacteria are bad for us – most are harmless and some are actually very useful. These strains help us digest our food, fight infections and generally keep us healthy. In fact they’ve evolved with us and shaped us – without them we wouldn’t exist.
Although we’ve known about the existence of these microbes for some time, scientists havent paid them much attention until recently.
Its only in the last fifteen years that scientists around the world have started to investigate these bacteria and microbes properly and discover some remarkable secrets about them. How they influence our health, and disease, our weight, even our mood and mental health are shaped by them.
This emerging field of research is hugely complex, challenging some of the greatest minds to piece together exactly how this is happening – but essentially it is changes to the make up of microbes inside us that is making so many of us fat,
and ill…
Ever wondered why some people never put on weight?
Maybe you have a friend – or colleague – who eats the same diet as you or worse – and never puts on an inch of fat?
My sister is one of these people. She eats everything she shouldn’t. She snacks constantly between meals. Her diet consists of cake, more cake, sweets, doughnuts, burgers, soft drinks – basically anything bad.
..And yet she has never put on an inch of fat, unlike me.
Well it’s not down to her genes, but now considered to be because she is one of a lucky few blessed with a particular make up of gut bacteria and microbes that keeps her slim.
Unlike the rest of us – for us it’s a daily battle to keep the fat and the weight off
So if gut bacteria is making us fat, can we get rid of them?