Could some obesity be infectious?

Gut microbe imbalance is catching, study finds

A study from Yale University found that both obesity and liver disease can be triggered by a family of proteins called inflammasomes that alter the balance of microbes in the stomach.

Amazingly, this altered intestinal environment can be passed on - making obesity an infectious condition.
The finding came to light during a study on stomach bacteria in mice.

Senior study author Professor Richard Flavell,said: 'When healthy mice were co-housed with mice that had altered gut microbes, the healthy mice also developed a susceptibility for development of liver disease and obesity.'

NAFLD is the result of metabolic syndrome, a collection of disorders that includes obesity and diabetes, and is the leading cause of chronic liver disease in the western world.

It is estimated that up to 30 million people suffer from NAFLD in the United States alone.

Professor Flavell said the next step will be to extend the research to see if the same effect can be seen in humans.
'We found, in mice, that targeted antibiotic treatment brought the microbial composition back to normal, and thus eased the liver disease.  Our hope is that our findings may eventually lead to a treatment for humans.'