Obesity is an infectious disease

We have heard that obesity can spread among friends if they copy each other's eating habits. However, a recent mouse study found early signs that obesity is indeed an infectious disease.

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Experts conduct experiments on mice. Impaired immune function mice are more likely to suffer from fatty liver disease and obesity when they are fed a Western diet. Especially when they are placed in cages with other healthy mice, the condition of a healthy child begins to deteriorate and the symptoms of liver disease and obesity appear.

Professor Richard Flavell at Yale University School of Medicine confirmed that the culprit is the bacteria in the stomach of mice. Because bacteria from mice with poor immune systems escape to their surroundings. Usually bacteria benefit from symbiotic life in human or animal bodies. But in the study, harmful bacteria increased 1,000 times in mice with poor immune systems.

He thinks we can make an obese mouse by putting it in a cage with another obese mouse. But the question of whether the same thing happens in people.

"Maybe but we need more research before the conclusions are final. The likelihood of obesity spreads in larger mice in humans because mice often eat each other's diets - how to effectively transmit intestinal bacteria." , he added

He thinks we need to study seriously on people. Fatty liver disease is very common in obese people, about 75% to 100% of obese people suffer from this disease. 20% of those patients, the condition progresses badly and becomes serious.

Previously, if two members in the same family had a liver problem or were obese, it was thought to be genetic. However, new research shows that the environment plays a big role in affecting the disease.

"If research results are applied in humans, we can use antibiotics or probiotics to control intestinal bacteria - subjects directly related to obesity and fatty liver. So, we can use some traditional treatments , " Flavell said.

"This is a thought-provoking study that points out our shortcomings when determining the level of liver disease and its complications. This research needs to be further improved because it wants to understand the role of sugar bacteria. The gut in humans is more complicated than mice, but this study is also an important step in medicine, " said Dr Jasmohan Bejaj, assistant professor of gastroenterology, liver and nutrition at Virginia Commonwealth School.