Evolution and Obesity – microbes & inflammation

Saad, M. J. A., & Santos, A. (2024). The Microbiota and Evolution of Obesity. Endocrine Reviews, bnae033. https://doi.org/10.1210/endrev/bnae033

This article challenges some current ideas by taking gut microbiome into account.

Abstract

Obesity is a major global concern and is generally attributed to a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the evolutionary origins of obesity epidemic, including thrifty and drifty genotypes, and changes in thermogenesis. Here, we put forward the hypothesis of metaflammation, which proposes that due to intense selection pressures exerted by environmental pathogens, specific genes that help develop a robust defense mechanism against infectious diseases have had evolutionary advantages and that this may contribute to obesity in modern times due to connections between the immune and energy storage systems. Indeed, incorporating the genetic variations of gut microbiota into the complex genetic framework of obesity makes it polygenic than previously believed. Thus, uncovering the evolutionary origins of obesity requires a multifaceted approach that considers the complexity of human history, the unique genetic makeup of different populations, and the influence of gut microbiome on host genetics.