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Review
. 2025 Mar;68(3):657-672.
doi: 10.1007/s11427-024-2759-3. Epub 2024 Nov 28.

The microbiome's influence on obesity: mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Dawit Adisu Tadese  1   2 , James Mwangi  1   2 , Lei Luo  1   2 , Hao Zhang  1 , Xiaoshan Huang  1   2 , Brenda B Michira  1   2 , Shengwen Zhou  1   2 , Peter Muiruri Kamau  1   2 , Qiumin Lu  1 , Ren Lai  3   4
Affiliations
Review

The microbiome's influence on obesity: mechanisms and therapeutic potential

Dawit Adisu Tadese et al. Sci China Life Sci. 2025 Mar.

Abstract

In 2023, the World Obesity Atlas Federation concluded that more than 50% of the world's population would be overweight or obese within the next 12 years. At the heart of this epidemic lies the gut microbiota, a complex ecosystem that profoundly influences obesity-related metabolic health. Its multifaced role encompasses energy harvesting, inflammation, satiety signaling, gut barrier function, gut-brain communication, and adipose tissue homeostasis. Recognizing the complexities of the cross-talk between host physiology and gut microbiota is crucial for developing cutting-edge, microbiome-targeted therapies to address the global obesity crisis and its alarming health and economic repercussions. This narrative review analyzed the current state of knowledge, illuminating emerging research areas and their implications for leveraging gut microbial manipulations as therapeutic strategies to prevent and treat obesity and related disorders in humans. By elucidating the complex relationship between gut microflora and obesity, we aim to contribute to the growing body of knowledge underpinning this critical field, potentially paving the way for novel interventions to combat the worldwide obesity epidemic.

Keywords: action mechanism; gut microbiota; human health; nutrients; obesity.

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Conflict of interest statement

Compliance and ethics. The authors declare that they have no conflict of Interest.

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