Mouth microbes and obesity

Microbes living in our mouths could hold the key to obesity prevention

January 23, 2026
4:12 pm

Scientists may have found a new way to spot early signs of obesity, which could lead to novel prevention strategies. A study published in the journal Cell Reports has discovered that people living with obesity have a distinct set of microbes in their mouths compared to people at a healthy weight.

Obesity is a global health crisis, a chronic relapsing disease where people have a BMI (body mass index) greater than or equal to 30. According to the World Health Organization, around 890 million people are living with obesity (data from 2022), while 2.5 billion adults are overweight (a BMI greater than or equal to 25).

Oral microbes

There are many known causes for weight gain, such as diet, lifestyle and genetics. The gut microbiome, the community of microbes that live in our digestive tract, also affects weight. But little is known about the possible link between obesity and the microbes living inside our mouths, which is the second-largest microbial ecosystem in the body.

Microbes living in our mouths could hold the key to obesity prevention

Oral microbes

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