Intestinal microbiota in children with obesity. Role of probiotics

Abstract

Obesity is a global problem of modern healthcare. In 2016, the World Health Organization estimated that 39% of people over 18 were overweight, and the number of obese people worldwide almost tripled over the period from 1975 to 2016. The number of overweight and obese children is growing at an alarming rate, with the World Health Organization estimating that in 2016 the number of overweight children under the age of 5 will exceed 41 million. Scientific evidence supports the hypothesis that the development of obesity is closely related to changes in both the function and composition of the intestinal microbiota, which plays a significant role in controlling energy metabolism and changes in body mass index. The main therapy for obesity and associated metabolic disorders to date has been a corrected diet combined with physical activity. The new therapeutic strategy for the treatment and prevention of obesity is based on changing the metabolic activity of the intestinal microbiota using probiotics. Studies on changes in metabolic activity and obesity in rodents have shown encouraging results. The beneficial effects of probiotics on human health today no longer require proof. Probiotics have an integrated effect on the physical, biochemical and metabolic parameters associated with obesity, combined with adequate nutrition and lifestyle correction. Probiotics in the presence of prebiotics have more pronounced metabolic functions, help stabilize the intestinal microbiota, maintain a healthy body weight and control factors associated with fat accumulation and chronic inflammation.