Obesity: Ethnic and Regional Differences in the Diet and Gut Microbiota (Review)

Problems of obesity, nutrition and microbiota are discussed in this review. In a world of constant economic and cultural changes traditional diet is being replaced by western diet, rich in free sugars, saturated fats, salt, and characterized by increased average daily dietary energy consumption intake. Such «western-style» diet is associated with high weight gain, leading to metabolic disorders, namely diet-related obesity, which is rapidly increasing globally. The impact of ethnicity to the development of obesity as inter-ethnic and intra-ethnic differences in dietary habits is showed. Dietary habits of different countries, including ethnic minorities, provide a specific pattern of gut microbiota and microbiome. In the context of globalization, international migration and rapid urbanization, changes in dietary habits occurred without proper adaptation of gut microbiota. Gut microbiota plays the fundamental role in regulation and pathogenesis of metabolic disorders due to making metabolites for normal human development, therefore gut microbiota dysbiosis may lead to metabolic dysfunction, including obesity. The review shows actual worldwide data of evolution of adult obesity over time, dietary energy consumption in different country and different climatic regions. It analyzes changes in gut microbiota composition depending on traditional or western diet, and on nationality and race.