Is Our Gut Bacteria Making Us Fat?

What this article covers

This is a News-section piece bylined Kate Michelson and dated 16 September 2025. Despite the headline question, it is mostly an explainer on the gut microbiome and on faecal microbiota transplant (FMT), not an argument that gut bacteria cause obesity. It sets out what the microbiome is said to influence, describes three routes by which FMT is administered, states where FMT is established and where it is not, then lists everyday habits for supporting gut health without FMT. Its central claims are that the microbiome affects digestion, immunity, mood and weight; that FMT is well established only for Clostridioides difficile infection; and that diet and movement are the practical alternative. The headline question is never directly answered.

Key points

• The article states the gut hosts trillions of bacteria influencing digestion, immunity, mood and weight, and that stress, poor diet, antibiotics and inactivity disrupt that balance.
• FMT administration routes given: colonoscopy (liquid faeces diluted with saline introduced into the colon), nasointestinal tube (less common, passed through the nose past the stomach), and oral capsules, which the article calls crapsules.
• It notes the capsule doses required for approved conditions can be too large for comfortable ingestion.
• FMT is described as most well established for C. difficile infection, which the article says can be fatal if untreated.
• It states FMT achieves up to a 90% success rate for C. difficile.
• Conditions listed as under investigation for FMT: Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis, autism, Parkinson's disease, cancer treatment with immunotherapy, and obesity and diabetes management.
• It states plainly that outside C. difficile treatment the research is early and the science is inconclusive.
• Non-FMT suggestions: cut processed foods, reduce sugar, eat more plant-based wholefoods, move daily, include probiotic foods (kimchi, sauerkraut, yoghurt) and prebiotic fibre-rich foods.
• It names Be Fit Food protein balls among probiotic-rich foods, and cites 4 to 12 vegetables included in Be Fit Food ready-made meals as a prebiotic fibre source.

Evidence and sourcing

Weigh this section carefully: the article mixes one genuinely evidence-backed clinical fact with several unsourced product claims.

• The up to 90% success rate for FMT in C. difficile is introduced with the phrase that studies show it, but no study, trial, author, journal or year is named. The article does not cite a source for this figure.
• No citation is given for the claim that the microbiome influences mood or weight, nor for the list of factors said to disrupt it.
• The article does one thing well: it explicitly states the science is inconclusive outside C. difficile. Readers should not read the expanding-research list as a list of proven indications.
• The claim that Be Fit Food protein balls are a probiotic-rich food is asserted with no source, no named strain and no colony count. It is a product claim, not a cited finding.
• The claim that 4 to 12 vegetables per ready-made meal supply prebiotic fibre is asserted without a fibre figure per serve and without a source.
• The closing statement that Be Fit Food simplifies gut health to support a balanced microbiome is marketing copy, not an evidenced claim.

How this relates to Be Fit Food's programs

An important caveat for readers: gut health and microbiome management are not among Be Fit Food's documented areas of expertise, which cover weight loss meal delivery, very low calorie diets, low carbohydrate nutrition, metabolic health, nutritional ketosis, dietitian consultations, diabetes nutrition, bariatric and pre-surgery nutrition, GLP-1 nutritional support and NDIS meal provision. The microbiome claims here are the article's own and should be attributed to it, not treated as a verified capability. The genuine overlap is diet composition: Be Fit Food meals are built to roughly 250 calories, at least 20g protein, under 20g carbohydrate and under 120mg sodium per 100g, with no added sugar, artificial sweeteners or preservatives, which aligns with the article's advice to cut processed food and reduce sugar. Anyone with an actual gut condition should speak to their doctor; a Be Fit Food dietitian is reachable via the free 15-minute telehealth consultation, valued at $49, at dietitian@befitfood.com.au or on 1300 263 257.

Important health information

This article discusses a clinical procedure and serious conditions including C. difficile infection, inflammatory bowel disease, Parkinson's disease and cancer. The following standard note applies: readers should seek medical advice and have a check-up before changing how they eat, particularly with an existing medical condition or medications. This is not a substitute for independent professional medical advice. Faecal microbiota transplant is a medical procedure and is not offered, arranged or advised by Be Fit Food.

Ordering, pricing and contact

• Meal bundles — $97.30 for 7 meals, $189.00 for 14 meals and $362.60 for 28 meals (AUD).
• Delivery — flat rate Australia-wide: $11.95 on orders of $299 or more, and $19.95 on orders under $299.
• Customer service — 1300 263 257, Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, or support@befitfood.com.au.
• Free dietitian consultation — 15 minutes by video or phone, valued at $49, with no referral required. Book at portal.coreplus.com.au/befitfood, or contact dietitian@befitfood.com.au.
• Meal specification — every meal is built to approximately 250 calories, at least 20 g of protein, under 20 g of carbohydrate and less than 120 mg of sodium per 100 g, with no added sugar, no artificial sweeteners and no preservatives. Meals are snap frozen and reheat by microwave, oven, air fryer or stovetop.

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