it continues.

The key to weight loss could lie in your gut.

That's according to a new study which shows that some of us have higher levels of a key bacteria that responds to diet and exercise.

The gut is still something of a mystery to even the most accomplished of researchers: we know that it can affect everything from immunity to brain function, and that everyone's personal cocktail of gut bacteria is different, but we are still working out how these types of bacteria work in each person.

Now, in a significant development, researchers at the Mayo Clinic have shown that some people have much higher levels of an anti-inflammatory bacterium called Phascolarctobacterium - and that it seems to make them more responsive to weight loss. 

Co-senior author Dr Purna Kashyap, a gastroenterologist, says the finding suggests we should aim to find a way to screen obese patients' gut bacteria make-up, to see whether it is a gut bacteria issue that is hampering their attempts to get fit. 

'We know some people don't lose weight as effectively as others despite reducing caloric consumption and increasing physical activity,' Dr Kashyap said. 

His team at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, wondered if there may be other factors at work that prevented these patients from responding to traditional weight-loss strategies. 

Dr Vandana Nehra, another senior author on the paper, said: 'Gut bacteria have the capacity to break down complex food particles which provides us with additional energy. And this is normally good for us.

'However, for some individuals trying to lose weight, this process may become a hindrance.'

The researchers decided to test if certain functions performed by gut bacteria that provide people with more energy may be responsible for the inability of some individuals to lose weight.

They collected and analyzed gut bacteria samples from a group of 26 participants enrolled in the Mayo Clinic Obesity Treatment Research Program between August and September 2013.

They found gut bacteria among those who did not lose weight were different from the others.

Specifically, the bacteria Phascolarctobacterium was associated with success, while Dialister was associated with difficulty.

More importantly, the increased ability to use certain carbohydrates was linked with failure.

Dr Kashyap said: 'This suggested to us that gut bacteria may possibly be an important determinant of weight loss in response to diet and lifestyle changes.'

Dr. Kashyap said more research is required to confirm the preliminary findings published in Mayo Clinic Proceedings.

But he said: 'While we need to replicate these findings in a bigger study we now have an important direction to pursue in terms of potentially providing more individualized strategies for people who struggle with obesity.'

Good grief.

Ok this is not from Australia but the USA, makes me wonder if we don't have something similar here though.

The products, distributed by Indianapolis-based Caito Foods, were found to be contaminated with cyclospora, which causes 'explosive diarrhea' up to six weeks after consuming it 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-6014829/USDA-issues-alert-salads-wraps-parasite-worry.html?ito=email_share_article-image-share

The research does not say that eating less can't fix obesity.

Celia - you've done very well. I don't have a weight problem I have a height problem, apparently I'm too short for my weight.  Figure that one out. 

Healthy eating and exercise is the only way to keep the weight off

I think the reason obese people have that gut bacteria is because of the food they eat

Celia, I am a tall thin man, with a very big beer gut, I did drink a lot but have not drank for 10 years now not a drop.But still have very big gut, nothing will bring it down, my father was the same and so are my brothers. I hate the look but after years of trying i am starting to think that nothing can be done.

I brisk walk 4k a day,wach what i eat ,dont drink,and dont haveadded sugar. I do know that if you are fat and have weight on because of what you eat then its simple, just stop eating so much and eat the rite food and the weight will fall off. But if you are like me then doctors dont know what it it, Now they are saying maybe its because you caugh a lot, and i do. always have. that will push out your gut .  They simply dont know i think, if they did then they could get rid of it.   i do every thing they tell me and more.  anyway ive had a gut for about 45 years so spose i will just die with it.  If you are fat all over and have the weight to lose then yes you can lose it but i am 5/11 and weigh 79klo, but i do have this big round belly.

thank you,i will mrntion it to my doc,  but i have been like this for 43 years now, just for interest, i have a friend same age as me, he drank like a fish but was as skinny as a rake, but he never ate much, when i say skinny i mean almost anarexic like. i did weigh 91 klo a few years ago so i cut out sadded sugar ,no cakes  things like that and i lost about 11 klo in a few weeks realy,  but none of it came off my belly.And that is why it looks so bad, a very tall thin man with this huge belly..  A doctor told me that men get fat belly and women some women get big fat bum, just the way it is, but i told him i have never seen a skinny women with a huge fat bum, and i havent.women usually get weight on all over not just one spot.