This study investigated the relationship between gut microbiota, dietary fiber intake, short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) metabolism, and eating behavior in adults. Two independent cross-sectional samples were analyzed: young overweight adults and patients after Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery. Specific bacterial genera correlated with healthier or unhealthier eating behaviors. Some genera were associated with fiber intake and SCFA levels, and with weight status and treatment response in overweight/obese patients. These preliminary findings suggest a link between gut microbiota composition and eating behavior, potentially mediated by dietary fiber and SCFA metabolism, warranting larger interventional studies.

Evelyn Medawar, Sven-Bastiaan Haange, Ulrike Rolle-Kampczyk, Beatrice Engelmann, Arne Dietrich, Ronja Thieleking, Charlotte Wiegank, Charlotte Fries, Annette Horstmann, Arno Villringer, Martin von Bergen, Wiebke Fenske, A. Veronica Witte