Association of the Gut Microbiota with Weight-Loss Response within a Retail Weight-Management Program

Abstract

Retail programs offer popular weight-loss options amid the ongoing obesity crisis. However, research on weight-loss outcomes within such programs is limited. This prospective-cohort observational study enrolled 58 men and women between ages 20 and 72 years from a retail program to assess the influence of client features on energy-restriction induced weight-loss response. DESeq2 in R-studio, a linear regression model adjusting for significantly correlating covariates, and Wilcoxon signed-rank and Kruskal–Wallis for within- and between-group differences, respectively, were used for data analyses. An average 10% (~10 kg) reduction in baseline-weight along with lower total-, android-, gynoid-, and android:gynoid-fat were observed at Week 12 (all, p < 0.05). Fifty percent of participants experienced a higher response, losing an average of 14.5 kg compared to 5.9 kg in the remaining low-response group (p < 0.0001). Hemoglobin-A1C (p = 0.005) and heart rate (p = 0.079) reduced in the high-response group only. Fat mass and A1C correlated when individuals had high android:gynoid fat (r = 0.55, p = 0.008). Gut-microbial β-diversity was associated with BMI, body fat%, and android-fat (all, p < 0.05). Microbiota of the high-response group had a higher baseline OTU-richness (p = 0.02) as well as differential abundance and/or associations with B. eggerthi, A. muciniphila, Turicibacter, Prevotella, and Christensenella (all, p/padj < 0.005). These results show that intestinal microbiota as well as sex and body composition differences may contribute to variable weight-loss response. This highlights the importance of various client features in the context of real-world weight control efforts.

The Mediterranean Diet Positively Affects Resting Metabolic Rate and Salivary Microbiota in Human Subjects: A Comparison with the Vegan Regimen

“…Interestingly, abundance of Prevotella was inversely correlated with BMI in MED subjects. A similar result has already been shown in a previous study focused on gut microbiota composition; in particular, a relative abundance of Prevotella in the intestinal microenvironment has been associated with better anthropometric features, among these a lower BMI [ 34 ].…”

Association of Sarcopenia and Gut Microbiota Composition in Older Patients with Advanced Chronic Kidney Disease, Investigation of the Interactions with Uremic Toxins, Inflammation and Oxidative Stress

“…Coprobacillus has been widely associated not only with biological aging and frailty [ 28 , 29 ] but also with inflammation [ 30 ] and hypertensive nephropathy [ 31 ].…”

Shifts in gut microbiota and their metabolites induced by bariatric surgery. Impact of factors shaping gut microbiota on bariatric surgery outcomes

“…Disease markers such as markers for diabetes (fasting insulin, HOMA-IR, HbA1c), inflammation (hs-C Reactive Protein, IL-6), cholesterol (triglycerides, LDL-cholesterol), liver function (alanine transaminase, γ-glutamil transferase, aspartate-amino transferase), among others have been negatively correlated with gut microbiota diversity [21]. Weight loss has been associated with a rising in gut microbiota diversity, but it has also been suggested that a higher diversity prior to an energyrestriction intervention could be associated with a higher weight loss [22], to what extent gut microbiota at baseline may influence on weight loss after bariatric surgery is still a matter of debate.…”