have more of a type called bacteroides, which are less efficient (wasting calo- ries), while heavy people have more of the calorie hogging firmicutes strain. These effects are seen early and can be far reaching. Pregnant women with higher levels of certain microbes tend to gain more weight during pregnancy and their infants will colonize their own bacteria in a similar weight promot- ing ratio, predisposing them to obesity later in life. This difference in bacterial ecology may be one piece of the puzzle as to why some people can seemingly eat whatever they want without gain- ing weight, while others struggle with a lower calorie intake. We do have some control over which bugs survive in our gut. Not only do our bacteria impact how we process what we eat, but what we eat affects our bacteria. A high fat, high sugar diet will increase the obesity causing germs while a lean, plant based diet encourages growth of the less ef- ficient “skinny” bugs.


Mothers influence their children’s future potential for obesity by more than just the ecology of their digestive tract. Breast feeding is associated with normal weight in infancy and beyond, while formula fed infants are more likely to be overweight as children and adults. Standard infant formulas contain higher amounts of protein than human milk, and when low protein formulas have been investigated in a research setting, they reduced the incidence of overweight in children. Whether the protein content is the only aspect of breast milk affecting obesity is unknown, but this is just one more reason that nursing is the optimal form of infant feeding.


Infectobesity


Digestive bacteria are not the only suspects in the weight control mystery. Infectobesity is the name for over- weight caused by pathogens, and oddly enough, certain viruses have been linked to excess weight. A few small studies have shown that more obese people than those of normal weight are infected with a bug called adenovirus 36 (AD36). In one study of children, those in the obese group who had been infected with AD36 weighed even more than the uninfected yet still overweight children. The virus has been found in


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the fat cells of animals and it appears that AD36 increases the number of fat cells in the body, thereby promoting more weight gain. However, the cor- relation between viruses and obesity is weak, and many people who have been exposed to the virus maintain a normal weight. No one has determined whether AD36 causes obesity or excess weight makes it easier to catch the virus, but since being overweight can weaken the immune system, a plant based diet, high in antioxidants from fruits and vegetables, and low in sugar is once again the weapon of choice in the fight for fitness.


Obesogens Another new weight related term is


“obesogens,” which are chemicals that disrupt normal hormonal processes, leading to weight gain and the many diseases that result. These industrial compounds also encourage normal cells to turn into fat cells and possibly alter our genes. Obesogens can come from food, water, plastics and packag- ing, pesticides, hormones and anti- biotics, lawn care and personal care


products and a host of other synthetic sources. The use of industrial pollutants has increased exponentially in the past decades and this increase also cor- relates to the rise in obesity. Not only do these compounds promote weight gain, but they are implicated in a host of disorders from ADHD to infertil- ity to cancer. Over 90% of Americans have them swimming in their blood or resting in their fat cells. Water bottles are commonly made from Bisphenol A (BPA), which is known to leech into the water it holds and acts as an endocrine disruptor. Most metal cans are lined with BPA as well. Pthalates are another undesirable plastic often used in food packaging and children’s toys, and heating any of these plastics can increase their transfer into the food. Triclosan, the chemical used in antibac- terial soap is another potent endocrine disruptor. Pesticides sprayed on crops and used for lawn care have similar effects and no one knows what hap- pens when this multiplicity of toxins is combined in one body. Beef and chicken, whether eaten at a fast food restaurant or at home are also a factor and not just because of


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