Here’s a contender for the most gross weight loss method ever: How about eating poop?

This is actually serious research:

Arstechnica: Freeze-Dried Poop Pills Being Tested for Obesity Treatment

Gut bacteria and weight

There’s been a ton of speculation on the connection between the bacteria in our gut – our microbiome – and weight control. It’s a hot area of research.

There are clear differences in the bacteria in the gut of obese and thin people. But this does not tell us what is causing what. It may simply be that refined carbohydrates and sugary drinks promote obesity AND change the gut flora, compared to eating real food.

Some small studies indicate that adding certain bacteria to food may perhaps lead to weight loss in humans. But it’s too early to say for certain, these results will have to be repeated.

This study

The study above is the first time researchers actually try to transplant gut bacteria between humans, for weight loss. It’s a randomized, placebo controlled trial so the results – whatever they will be – could be believable.

If it turns out to work, would you eat poop to lose weight?

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Bacteria

Do the bacteria you have in your gut affect your health and weight? The answer is probably yes, but it remains to be shown how much and in what way.

In recent years technological advances have made it easier to do research on the bacteria that comprise our gut flora. Increasingly, statistical correlations are found between certain types of bacteria and diseases, such as obesity and diabetes.

The problem is very common. Scientists and journalists are quick to conclude that statistical correlations imply causation. This is the way our brains work, they fabricate a plausible story in order to explain the findings and this often leads us the wrong way. Finding the truth is more complicated.

Do certain bacteria cause obesity, or does a certain lifestyle (for example junk food full of sugar) increase body weight AND affect what bacteria you have in your gut? This question is harder to answer.

Is it possible to cure disease or control your weight long-term by adding good bacteria (probiotics) to the gut? This largely remains to be proven. At the moment there are more questions than answers.