An exciting possibility was that we could determine what "enterotype"
(collection of bacterial species in the gut) was associated with obesity
and, if causative, treat obesity by remodeling that enterotype to
resemble one that promoted lean individuals. This article suggests that
if enterotypes exist at all, we're going to have to look harder for
them.
"We find that inter-study variability in the taxonomic
composition of stool microbiomes far exceeds differences between lean
and obese individuals within studies. Our analyses further reveal a high
degree of variability in stool microbiome composition and diversity
across individuals."
Gotta love open access. Article via @iddux.
Vaccines
save lives. If you view yourself as a special case with unique
sensitivities to vaccines, and are inspired toward activism against
vaccines in general as a result, then you are morally obligated to ask
whether such arguments are worth humans.
Given data showing
that vaccines save lives, it follows that their negative effects are
smaller than the diseases they prevent.* Therefore advocating against
vaccination - rather than advocating for different formulations while
encouraging vaccination - is indistinguishable in effect from advocating
that people die from preventable disease. That's a direct
interpretation of what existing data mean.
* The conclusion is
that successful anti-vaccination arguments lead to more deaths. If
anyone has data showing that vaccine toxicity causes mortality at levels
approaching the diseases they prevent, please share. I don't care
about being wrong but really do care about accuracy. That said, note
that the above reasoning doesn't change with power of anecdote. Some
people have horrific reactions to vaccines. People also have horrific
reactions to whooping cough, hepatitis, influenza and smallpox.
