If you’re one of the millions who feel like you’re waging a losing battle against the bulge, then chances are that one particular area that you’re most frustrated with is your mid-section. However, an increasing amount of data, as shown in the current issue of The Journal of Proteome Research, reflects that you may not entirely be at fault.

Researchers from the Nestlé Research Centre in Lausanne, Switzerland, and the Imperial College, in London, United Kingdom claim that based on studies they have conducted, the amount of bacteria found in a person’s large intestine may be the difference between obesity and being healthy. This bacterium is said to hinder the movement of energy-burning adipose tissue more commonly known as brown fat.

As opposed to white fat, which serves as the body’s energy store, brown fat acts as it’s complete  opposite, burning energy in the form of calories when it is stimulated, and the amount of bacteria that’s in you will determine whether or not your brown fat will be able to perform its function effectively.

This unique relationship between intestinal bacteria and weight was first discovered through experiments conducted on mice that had normal amounts of bacteria in their large intestines, and mice that were genetically bred to be, for all intents and purposes, “germ-free.”

Not only were the “germ-free” mice more active both by themselves and in their interactions with each other, they likewise had a higher brown fat burning ratio as compared to their normal brothers and sisters. The experiment similarly showed a slight correlation of the amount of bacteria in the mice’s large intestines to the difference in weight between genders, as the male counterparts of the “normal” mice were found to be heavier, and carried more fat as opposed to their female counterparts. This correlation, however, was not in evidence in the “germ-free” mice.

Researchers have proposed a theory wherein they deemed the bacteria in the large intestines as a contributing factor to whether or not a person’s metabolism would be able to burn through calories or not. With the bacteria absent in one’s digestive system, certain short-chain fatty acids are not produced, which serves to disrupt the body’s metabolic process, and effectively triggers lipolysis, wherein calories are then burned by expending brown fat.

While further testing and research is still required, developments in the field may eventually lead to newer, more effective ways for the treatment and prevention of obesity.