越来越多的证据表明肠道菌群与肥胖、膜岛素抵抗等代谢性疾病的发生密切相关，具体分子机制也正被逐步揭示出来。肠道菌群不仅可调节能量代谢，促进脂肪过度积累，还是宿主全身性低度慢性炎症和膜岛素抵抗等代谢紊乱的诱发因素之一。肠道菌群有可能成为预防和治疗肥胖症的新靶点。

Accumulating evidence indicates that the gut microbiota is closely linked with the development of obesity , insulin resistance and other metabolic diseases, with the detailed molecular mechanism being elucidated.The gut microbiota can not only regulate energy metabolism and promote excessive fat accumulation,but also act as one of the predisposing factors for driving the host systemic, low-grade chronic inflammationand subsequent insulin resistance and other metabolic disorders. The gut microbiota may become a new target for the prevention and treatment of obesity.