6 ms·

Bacteria from slim people could help treat obesity, study finds

35 points by cromulent 13y ago

user123898 13y ago
Or you could, you know , exercise and eat less. It seem to me that the proper solution is in psyche of the afflicted, not in the drugs.
- TausAmmer 13y ago
  No, we must go to mars and there we will find new mineral that consumed will lessen obesity, it will be expensive, as to transport from there, but you know, science...
- pjscott 13y ago
  If the goal is to increase the average level of health in the world, an easy way of decreasing obesity would be a godsend. Does this bother you? If so, why?
  - Ygg2 13y ago
    Sedentary lifestyle is a probably a worse offender than obesity. Being obese with active habits is probably better than slim with sedentary lifestyle.
    - sgift 13y ago
      Sedentary Lifestyle? Like ... working 60-80 hours for someone else company, because we are so great at this startup and we will change the world? And I thought, after reading all the usual comments to this topic, that we should all life like this. (As I've been asked to mark it: YES, that's sarcasm)
      - eru 13y ago
        Working long hours doesn't make you sedentary. Use standing desk, if nothing else.
        sgift 13y ago
        The last time I asked my doc said using a standing desk will probably ruin my back and/or knees. At least if I do it for any significant period of time (I usually use mine only if I work together with a collegue on one machine. Space is a bit cramped for two chairs then).
        eru 13y ago
        Does your doc stay current on research?
  - alan_cx 13y ago
    Because it's a lazy get out for lazy people. Perhaps if the face stuffers ate less and exercised more, there might be more food to go round. But no, carry on being greedy, cost money and resources, then use more money and resources for some sort of lazy, likely over priced, medical solution. Such a scheme is a disgusting indictment of modern humanity. Too damn lazy to do the obvious, while many people cant get enough food to survive, and pop a pill, or whatever. Bothered? No, it makes me very damn angry. Que the usual excuses..........
    - cromulent 13y ago
      Well, the other side of this research is that you can help people with malnutrition. See this article for example. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23127-abnormal-gut-bacteria-linked-to-severe-malnutrition.html#.UimUwxa9-f4 http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23127-abnormal-gut-bac...
    - DanBC 13y ago
      This is a peculiar reaction. This research does not mean "take a pill, become slim". It means "Take some pills, and eat less and move more". Some people have gut flora that help them stay slim. Some people have gut flora that help them stay fat. You can see that not having the slim flora, and having the fat flora, is the worst combination and would make "eating less, moving more" harder. Taking a pill to modify the gut flora would support the attempts of those people to eat less move more.
    - gnaffle 13y ago
      You do realize that these "face stuffers" are usually (as in statistically) among the poorest in our society? The ones with lots of money have time to cook proper meals, buy lots of veggies at Whole Foods or whatever, and pay for their gym memberships with personal trainers. I realize that you're angry. My tip to you would be to go to some weight losers meetings and meet these greedy face-stuffing bastards. I bet that would learn a lot from that and gain a different perspective about what they're dealing with. But, I guess you won't, because it's a bit more comfortable to just hack away at your keyboard writing smug comments on HN.
    - flumbaps 13y ago
- vidarh 13y ago
  If a different gut flora makes a substantial difference in obesity levels, is it then not reasonable to consider obesity at least partially a treatable medical condition? It is also not very helpful to anyone who struggles with obesity to be told the "proper solution is in the psyche of the afflicted" unless you also have a way of fixing that (if you you do have a way of fixing that, market a diet and you'll become a billionaire). Absent a way of giving everyone willpower to stick to strict enough diets, we should welcome other alternatives too.
  - alan_cx 13y ago
    "If a different gut flora makes a substantial difference in obesity levels, is it then not reasonable to consider obesity at least partially a treatable medical condition?" Because it can very easily be treated by simple life style changes. Buy people simply chose not to citing ever excuse under the sun. "It is also not very helpful to anyone who struggles with obesity to be told the "proper solution is in the psyche of the afflicted" unless you also have a way of fixing that (if you you do have a way of fixing that, market a diet and you'll become a billionaire). Absent a way of giving everyone willpower to stick to strict enough diets, we should welcome other alternatives too." Really? So, don't tell depressed people it is psychological? Pop a pill? Market a diet? Psychology is not a diet. I really don't care if obese people want to be obese, and give ti the I am what I am thing, but please, quit these absurd excuses. All the vast majority have to do is eat well and exercise. Just minor adjustment will gradually help. They don't have to become health food freaks and Olympic athletes, just make gradual adjustments. But no, they prefer sit an watch TV, while stuffing their faces with crap food and drink. Sorry, but this drives me nuts. I know many obese people, and its the fault of every single one. And, its no shock to them. They know. They make their excuses, and know they are excuses. They all know the solution is simple life style changes, but the chose to remain following their current life style. In that, I support their choice.
    - DipDrop 13y ago
      You are right to say obesity is a matter of lifestyle choice, but it does not exclude what he said about 'partial treatability'. Elaboration from my personal life: I never get fat. I eat well, I don't do any regular excercising and I can eat as much junk food as I desire while still being the skinniest person around. I don't think I have any excess fat to show in my body. I don't know if it's some sort of condition or if I simply have a very efficient metabolism (and I can't even read the article right now, maybe it would contain an answer), but I also know a few other people with similar "gift". So if I am basically immune to obesity, I'd say it's definitely "at least partially a treatable medical condition" as he said above.
- rickdale 13y ago
  I just want to point out that eating less and exercises can be a very poor combination. I agree the solution is in conquering the psyche, but you have to respect that process and open up to new ideas like different bacteria. Think of your body like a computer that is always processing through the world, input/eat crap, output crap, input/eat healthy, and your output will be better. But that does not necessarily mean eating less, just eating real foods rather than processed stuff.
- icecreampain 13y ago
  Slight modification: exercise and eat _better_. // icecreampain - got tired of being a 90+kg, 1.73m tall fatass. Started exercising, dropped 20kg fat then gained 16kg muscle. Work hard erry day.
- Tycho 13y ago
  Why is it necessary to exercise (to lose weight) though? Why isn't it just a matter of consuming the right number of calories to go with whatever amount of activity your day involves? I mean obviously prolonged exercise burns off fat quickly, but it's also sort of like a shock to the system which might make you overcompensate afterwards by eating even more. I know people who train for marathon running but still seem to get heavier.
spurgu 13y ago
So, for humans, you would need to eat slim peoples poo and then refrain from eating fat peoples poo?
- chatman 13y ago
  Obese people have a large carbon footprint, perhaps like a Yeti. They should be sent on a one-way space expedition!
entropyneur 13y ago
Meta: from the comments here it looks like many HNers share reddit's smug attitude towards obesity. I wonder how many of the people looking down on the fat are only slim because that's simply what their body is predisposed to. I and pretty much every slim person I know certainly aren't making a slightest effort to stay slim and I seriously doubt that I'd have will power to eat less and exercise frequently if I was less lucky.
- deletes 13y ago
  I did it. I took some organizing and willpower. And a mirror near the place where you spend most of your day really helps to not ignore the situation.
- simias 13y ago
  We all have predispositions for all kinds of stuff. Doesn't mean we have to give up and just say "hey, that's how I am even if it kills me!". Of course, I'm not ignoring some people are obese because of a disease and can't really help it. I have a lot of empathy for them. I doubt they're the majority of the obese population however. I admit I do feel a bit smug towards those who just lack the willpower to try and eat better/less and exercise a bit. They don't respect themselves, why should I?
  - gnaffle 13y ago
    Here's the problem: If you've never had to count calories, stick to a diet and exercise, and have had to so in a lot of challenging life situations where you have lots of other stuff to think about on top of that, you can't really claim that you have more willpower than those obese people, and that's the reason why they are fat and you are slim. Not any more than I can claim that I'm just better at pulling my self together and lighten up compared to some other suicidal, depressed person. If this willpower theory was correct, then it should be easy to confirm that the current obesity epidemic is caused by a matching lack of willpower epidemic in the population during the past 50 years. AFAIK, that's not supported by any evidence.
    - 13y ago
emmelaich 13y ago
I'm getting to think we're more like symbiotes every day.
antonioevans 13y ago
So how long till this drug/supplement is on the market?
cwilson 13y ago
There are so many misconceptions in this thread. It's really not that hard folks. Would you like to be in good shape and live a long, healthy life? Lift/move heavy things around 2 - 3 times per week, exercise the muscle that is your heart, and eat a balanced diet composed of veggies, protein, and non-processed carbs. Seriously, that's it.

35 points by cromulent 13y ago

Or you could, you know , exercise and eat less. It seem to me that the proper solution is in psyche of the afflicted, not in the drugs.

TausAmmer 13y ago
No, we must go to mars and there we will find new mineral that consumed will lessen obesity, it will be expensive, as to transport from there, but you know, science...
pjscott 13y ago
If the goal is to increase the average level of health in the world, an easy way of decreasing obesity would be a godsend. Does this bother you? If so, why?
- Ygg2 13y ago
  Sedentary lifestyle is a probably a worse offender than obesity. Being obese with active habits is probably better than slim with sedentary lifestyle.
  - sgift 13y ago
    Sedentary Lifestyle? Like ... working 60-80 hours for someone else company, because we are so great at this startup and we will change the world? And I thought, after reading all the usual comments to this topic, that we should all life like this. (As I've been asked to mark it: YES, that's sarcasm)
    - eru 13y ago
      Working long hours doesn't make you sedentary. Use standing desk, if nothing else.
      - sgift 13y ago
        The last time I asked my doc said using a standing desk will probably ruin my back and/or knees. At least if I do it for any significant period of time (I usually use mine only if I work together with a collegue on one machine. Space is a bit cramped for two chairs then).
        eru 13y ago
        Does your doc stay current on research?
- alan_cx 13y ago
  Because it's a lazy get out for lazy people. Perhaps if the face stuffers ate less and exercised more, there might be more food to go round. But no, carry on being greedy, cost money and resources, then use more money and resources for some sort of lazy, likely over priced, medical solution. Such a scheme is a disgusting indictment of modern humanity. Too damn lazy to do the obvious, while many people cant get enough food to survive, and pop a pill, or whatever. Bothered? No, it makes me very damn angry. Que the usual excuses..........
  - cromulent 13y ago
    Well, the other side of this research is that you can help people with malnutrition. See this article for example. http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23127-abnormal-gut-bacteria-linked-to-severe-malnutrition.html#.UimUwxa9-f4 http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn23127-abnormal-gut-bac...
  - DanBC 13y ago
    This is a peculiar reaction. This research does not mean "take a pill, become slim". It means "Take some pills, and eat less and move more". Some people have gut flora that help them stay slim. Some people have gut flora that help them stay fat. You can see that not having the slim flora, and having the fat flora, is the worst combination and would make "eating less, moving more" harder. Taking a pill to modify the gut flora would support the attempts of those people to eat less move more.
  - gnaffle 13y ago
    You do realize that these "face stuffers" are usually (as in statistically) among the poorest in our society? The ones with lots of money have time to cook proper meals, buy lots of veggies at Whole Foods or whatever, and pay for their gym memberships with personal trainers. I realize that you're angry. My tip to you would be to go to some weight losers meetings and meet these greedy face-stuffing bastards. I bet that would learn a lot from that and gain a different perspective about what they're dealing with. But, I guess you won't, because it's a bit more comfortable to just hack away at your keyboard writing smug comments on HN.
  - flumbaps 13y ago
vidarh 13y ago
If a different gut flora makes a substantial difference in obesity levels, is it then not reasonable to consider obesity at least partially a treatable medical condition? It is also not very helpful to anyone who struggles with obesity to be told the "proper solution is in the psyche of the afflicted" unless you also have a way of fixing that (if you you do have a way of fixing that, market a diet and you'll become a billionaire). Absent a way of giving everyone willpower to stick to strict enough diets, we should welcome other alternatives too.
- alan_cx 13y ago
  "If a different gut flora makes a substantial difference in obesity levels, is it then not reasonable to consider obesity at least partially a treatable medical condition?" Because it can very easily be treated by simple life style changes. Buy people simply chose not to citing ever excuse under the sun. "It is also not very helpful to anyone who struggles with obesity to be told the "proper solution is in the psyche of the afflicted" unless you also have a way of fixing that (if you you do have a way of fixing that, market a diet and you'll become a billionaire). Absent a way of giving everyone willpower to stick to strict enough diets, we should welcome other alternatives too." Really? So, don't tell depressed people it is psychological? Pop a pill? Market a diet? Psychology is not a diet. I really don't care if obese people want to be obese, and give ti the I am what I am thing, but please, quit these absurd excuses. All the vast majority have to do is eat well and exercise. Just minor adjustment will gradually help. They don't have to become health food freaks and Olympic athletes, just make gradual adjustments. But no, they prefer sit an watch TV, while stuffing their faces with crap food and drink. Sorry, but this drives me nuts. I know many obese people, and its the fault of every single one. And, its no shock to them. They know. They make their excuses, and know they are excuses. They all know the solution is simple life style changes, but the chose to remain following their current life style. In that, I support their choice.
  - DipDrop 13y ago
    You are right to say obesity is a matter of lifestyle choice, but it does not exclude what he said about 'partial treatability'. Elaboration from my personal life: I never get fat. I eat well, I don't do any regular excercising and I can eat as much junk food as I desire while still being the skinniest person around. I don't think I have any excess fat to show in my body. I don't know if it's some sort of condition or if I simply have a very efficient metabolism (and I can't even read the article right now, maybe it would contain an answer), but I also know a few other people with similar "gift". So if I am basically immune to obesity, I'd say it's definitely "at least partially a treatable medical condition" as he said above.
rickdale 13y ago
I just want to point out that eating less and exercises can be a very poor combination. I agree the solution is in conquering the psyche, but you have to respect that process and open up to new ideas like different bacteria. Think of your body like a computer that is always processing through the world, input/eat crap, output crap, input/eat healthy, and your output will be better. But that does not necessarily mean eating less, just eating real foods rather than processed stuff.
icecreampain 13y ago
Slight modification: exercise and eat _better_. // icecreampain - got tired of being a 90+kg, 1.73m tall fatass. Started exercising, dropped 20kg fat then gained 16kg muscle. Work hard erry day.
Tycho 13y ago
Why is it necessary to exercise (to lose weight) though? Why isn't it just a matter of consuming the right number of calories to go with whatever amount of activity your day involves? I mean obviously prolonged exercise burns off fat quickly, but it's also sort of like a shock to the system which might make you overcompensate afterwards by eating even more. I know people who train for marathon running but still seem to get heavier.

spurgu 13y ago

So, for humans, you would need to eat slim peoples poo and then refrain from eating fat peoples poo?

chatman 13y ago
Obese people have a large carbon footprint, perhaps like a Yeti. They should be sent on a one-way space expedition!

entropyneur 13y ago

Meta: from the comments here it looks like many HNers share reddit's smug attitude towards obesity. I wonder how many of the people looking down on the fat are only slim because that's simply what their body is predisposed to. I and pretty much every slim person I know certainly aren't making a slightest effort to stay slim and I seriously doubt that I'd have will power to eat less and exercise frequently if I was less lucky.

deletes 13y ago
I did it. I took some organizing and willpower. And a mirror near the place where you spend most of your day really helps to not ignore the situation.
simias 13y ago
We all have predispositions for all kinds of stuff. Doesn't mean we have to give up and just say "hey, that's how I am even if it kills me!". Of course, I'm not ignoring some people are obese because of a disease and can't really help it. I have a lot of empathy for them. I doubt they're the majority of the obese population however. I admit I do feel a bit smug towards those who just lack the willpower to try and eat better/less and exercise a bit. They don't respect themselves, why should I?
- gnaffle 13y ago
  Here's the problem: If you've never had to count calories, stick to a diet and exercise, and have had to so in a lot of challenging life situations where you have lots of other stuff to think about on top of that, you can't really claim that you have more willpower than those obese people, and that's the reason why they are fat and you are slim. Not any more than I can claim that I'm just better at pulling my self together and lighten up compared to some other suicidal, depressed person. If this willpower theory was correct, then it should be easy to confirm that the current obesity epidemic is caused by a matching lack of willpower epidemic in the population during the past 50 years. AFAIK, that's not supported by any evidence.
  - 13y ago

emmelaich 13y ago

I'm getting to think we're more like symbiotes every day.

antonioevans 13y ago

So how long till this drug/supplement is on the market?

cwilson 13y ago

There are so many misconceptions in this thread. It's really not that hard folks. Would you like to be in good shape and live a long, healthy life? Lift/move heavy things around 2 - 3 times per week, exercise the muscle that is your heart, and eat a balanced diet composed of veggies, protein, and non-processed carbs. Seriously, that's it.