"There may soon be a new tool in the fight against childhood obesity http Prebiotics reduce body fat in children who are overweight or obese by altering their gut microbiota according to new research published in Gastroenterology http the official journal of the American Gastroenterological Association AGA http Prebiotics are nondigestible food ingredients such as fiber that act as fertilizers to help stimulate the growth of good bacteria already in the gut different from probiotics which introduce new bacteria into the system.  This is a welldesigned trial that demonstrates how a prebiotic could potentially help combat one of the most prevalent and costly conditions afflicting children in the developed world  overnutrition  by targeting the gut microbiome said Geoffrey A. Preidis MD PhD a member of the AGA Center for Gut Microbiome Research and Education http scientific advisory board. It is promising to see this evidence that alteration of the gut microbiota can be used to restore health. As a clinician I hope that continued research into prebiotics will lead to a new strategy for the treatment of obesity. Method  For this study researchers from the University of Calgary Alberta Canada performed a doubleblind placebocontrolled trial with  participants. Participants included children  to  years old who were classified as overweight or obese th percentile of body mass index but otherwise healthy. Participants were randomly assigned to groups given either the prebiotic fiber  oligofructoseenriched inulin  or a placebo once daily for  weeks. The prebiotic was provided as a white powder mixed in water. Powdered fiber mixed in a water bottle taken once a day is all we asked the children to change and we got what we consider some pretty exciting results  it has been fantastic added Raylene A. Reimer PhD RD professor and researcher in the Faculty of Kinesiology at University of Calgary who led the study.  Results  Based on fourmonth intervention data the annual projected body weight increase in the prebiotic group would be  kilograms . pounds within the expected healthy range whereas the projected increase in the placebo group was  kilograms . pounds almost triple the expected yearly weight increase. Thus supplementation with the prebiotic improved outcomes in children who were overweight or obese. Importantly the researchers show that the prebiotic induced specific gut bacterial shifts compared to placebo.  Why is this important  This is the first randomized controlled study to assess comprehensive changes in gut microbial composition with prebiotic intervention in children who are overweight and obese. Excess weight in childhood tends to persist into adulthood and is an early risk factor for obesityassociated morbidity and mortality highlighting the importance of early intervention. Whats next  The metabolic and microbial findings from this study provide a foundation for a larger clinical trial in the pediatric population. Prebiotics are inexpensive and noninvasive and therefore a plausible dietary treatment in the overweight and obese pediatric population.  Resources  What is Obesity http_for_patientsobesitywhatisobesity  Grant Support  This work was supported by grants from the BMO Financial Group Endowed Research Fund in Healthy Living Alberta Childrens Hospital Foundation Alberta Childrens Hospital Research Institute and the Canadian Institutes of Health Research MOP. Clinicaltrials.gov no NCT. Reference  Nicolucci A.C. Hume M.P. Martnez I. Mayengbam S. Walter J. Reimer R.A. Prebiotic Reduces Body Fat and Alters Intestinal Microbiota in Children With Overweight or Obesity. Gastroenterology  doi .j.gastro... http  About the AGA Institute  The American Gastroenterological Association is the trusted voice of the GI community. Founded in  the AGA has grown to more than  members from around the globe who are involved in all aspects of the science practice and advancement of gastroenterology. The AGA Institute administers the practice research and educational programs of the organization. http  About Gastroenterology  Gastroenterology the official journal of the AGA Institute is the most prominent scientific journal in the specialty and is in the top  percent of indexed medical journals internationally. The journal publishes clinical and basic science studies of all aspects of the digestive system including the liver and pancreas as well as nutrition. The journal is abstracted and indexed in Biological Abstracts Current Awareness in Biological Sciences Chemical Abstracts Current Contents Excerpta Medica Index Medicus Nutrition Abstracts and Science Citation Index. For more information visit http  Like AGA http and Gastroenterology http on Facebook.  Follow us on Twitter AmerGastroAssn http AGA_Gastro httpstwitter.comAGA_Gastro New  Check out our videos on YouTube http  Join AGA on LinkedIn http"