It is all in the gut. : Bacteria in intestines helps weight gain.

By Briana Booker

 You know when people say they can feel it in the gut? They might be right. There is something in your gut that could be making you fat!

Microbes in the intestines can influence metabolism and weight! 10 to 100 trillion microbes, most bacteria, dwell in our colon and small intestines! They work together to influence how many calories we can extract from food and how many we can make or burn in fat. A study on mice have shown similar associations in people with this finding!


Maybe someone needs to make a microbe-filled slim beverage drink soon?

Bacteria, historically, has aimed to draw the maximum calories from our food during the hunter-gatherer age. However, in our modern society of fast-food dieting this is less beneficial causing obesity and diabetes.

But  beneficial bacteria does many useful things for us such as preventing disease causing bacteria from taking hold in our body by filling up empty space in our bodies, digesting foods that we can not break down, producing vitamins, and discovering energy sources we can use.

 The issue with gut bacteria is that it is hereditary! Babies are born bacteria free and collect bacteria from their mothers and those around them. It is all about environment and genetic mutations such as hormone leptin. Leptin controls appetite and metabolism.
With that said, squeezing every last available calorie out of food, bacteria can influence metabolism to allow the body to store or burn less fat. If you can slow down food moving through the intestines, there is a good chance the body has more time to collect calories.

As for a slim beverage, Japanese researchers from the company Snow Brand Milk Products reported people that drink probiotic milk for 12 weeks lose weight! The company's study was published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition! Probiotic drink is a bacteria free concotion. The average person in the study lost 1.4% of his or her body weight for the average 150 pound person.This is 2 pounds in 12 weeks.

However, no researcher has admitted to knowing which bacterias help weight loss and a drink is not recommended at the moment to eliminate certain bacteriums.

Cartoon characters help obesity?

By Briana Booker

Enjoy cartoons? So do I! And very young children enjoy them more! A recent study implies popular cartoon characters are influencing the taste buds of children in a negative way.


 The study indicates American food products packaged with characters like Spongebob and Dora the Explorer are promoting elementary school students to choose higher calorie and bad dieting foods over more nutritious items.
The study observed 40 preschoolers of all ethnic backgrounds in four different child care centers in New Haven. Children were presented with three different food types:

 low-nutrient/low-energy graham crackers; low-nutrient/high-energy gummy fruit snacks; and high-nutrient/low-energy baby carrots.


Each food product was packaged in the same color, shape and design. One brand less and the other branded. The overall result to the children was that the branded package tasted better than the brand less one.

The issue is that cartoon characters are more likely to be on processed food products. This reminds me of the camel cartoon character on cigarette packages. It is definitely a public health issue. Maybe the same reason why there are so many obese children in America. Can you say headed for the years of Wall-e?


Although children of this age group have advanced cognitive skills and short term and long term memory in place, they have difficulty in being skeptical about the messages they are obtaining from their environments.


Hopefully, revamping cartoon characters on healthier foods will help fight obesity.