. Author manuscript; available in PMC: 2024 Jan 3.

Published in final edited form as: Obes Rev. 2021 Feb 15;22(5):e13175. doi: 10.1111/obr.13175

Table 1.

Microbial Relationships with Adiposity Reported among Four or More of the Included Studies

	Microbe	Association with Adiposity		Age Group	Reference
	Microbe	%	Relationship	Age Group	Reference
Phylum	Actinobacteria	16.7%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Del Chierico et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9:1–12 (31). Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44).
		16.7%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53)
		16.7%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Yuan et al. J of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2014;29(6):1292–1298 (51).
		66.7%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64). Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
				School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54). Méndez-Salazar et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9(Oct):1–11 (35). Murugesan et al. Euro J of Clin Micro & Infect Diseases. 2015;34(7):1337–1346 (38). Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39).
				Adolescents	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Bacteroidetes	13.3%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Del Chierico et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9:1–12 (31). Yuan et al. J of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2014;29(6):1292–1298 (51).
		40.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53) Méndez-Salazar et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9(Oct):1–11 (35). Orbe-Orihuela et al. Salud Publica de Mexico. 2018;60(1):5–11 (40). Xu et al. BMC Microbiology. 2012;12(1):283–289 (62).
		40.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
		46.7%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64). Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
				School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54). Mousavi et al. Iranian Red Crescent Med Journal. 2018;20(4):1–6 (37). Murugesan et al. Euro J of Clin Micro & Infect Diseases. 2015;34(7):1337–1346 (38). Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39).
				Adolescents	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39).
	Firmicutes	35.3%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54). Mousavi et al. Iranian Red Crescent Med Journal. 2018;20(4):1–6 (37). Orbe-Orihuela et al. Salud Publica de Mexico. 2018;60(1):5–11 (40).
		35.3%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Del Chierico et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9:1–12 (31). Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
		5.9%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Yuan et al. J of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2014;29(6):1292–1298 (51).
		58.8%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64). Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
				School-aged children	Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53) López-Contreras et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2017;13(6):381–388 (59). Méndez-Salazar et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9(Oct):1–11 (35). Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39). Payne et al. Nutrition & Diabetes. 2011;1(7):e12 (41). Xu et al. BMC Microbiology. 2012;12(1):283–289 (62). Murugesan et al. Euro J of Clin Micro & Infect Diseases. 2015;34(7):1337–1346 (38).
				Adolescents	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39).
	Firmicutes:Bacteroidetes	41.7%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Mousavi et al. Iranian Red Crescent Med Journal. 2018;20(4):1–6 (37). Xu et al. BMC Microbiology. 2012;12(1):283–289 (62).
		41.7%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Bervoets et al, Gut Pathogens. 2013;5:1–10 (29) Hou et al, BioMed Research International. 2017;7585989:1–8 (46). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
		58.3%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64). Craig SJC et al. Scientific Reports. 2018;8:14030 (60).
				School-aged children	Hollister et al, Childhood Obesity. 2018;14(2):122–130 (61). López-Contreras et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2017;13(6):381–388 (59). Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53)
				Adolescents	Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47). Whisner et al, BMC Microbiology. 2018;18(1)1:11 (50).
	Proteobacteria	25.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53) Méndez-Salazar et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9(Oct):1–11 (35).
		25.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Yuan et al. J of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2014;29(6):1292–1298 (51).
		8.3%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44).
		66.7%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64). Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
				School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54). Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39). Murugesan et al. Euro J of Clin Micro & Infect Diseases. 2015;34(7):1337–1346 (38).
				Adolescents	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39). Del Chierico et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9:1–12 (31). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Tenericutes	20.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53)
		80.0%	No difference/No association	School-aged children	Méndez-Salazar et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9(Oct):1–11 (35). Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39).
		80.0%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39). Yuan et al. J of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2014;29(6):1292–1298 (51).
	Verrucomicrobia	33.3%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Infant/Toddler	Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
		33.3%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Hou et al, BioMed Research International. 2017;7585989:1–8 (46).
		66.7%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64).
		66.7%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Del Chierico et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9:1–12 (31). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49). Yuan et al. J of Gastroenterology and Hepatology. 2014;29(6):1292–1298 (51).
Family	Bacteroidaceae	25.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44).
		50.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47).
		50.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
		25.0%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64).
	Christensenellaceae	20.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Leong et al. Am J of Clinical Nutrition. 2020’111(1):70–78 (58).
		60.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	Moran-Ramos et al, Gut Microbes. 2020; Jan 23:1–18 (36). López-Contreras et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2017;13(6):381–388 (59).
		60.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44).
		20.0%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Coriobacteriaceae	75.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64).
				School-aged children	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39).
				Adolescents	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39).
		25.0%	No difference/No association	School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54).
	Enterobacteriaceae	28.6%	Increase/Positive correlation	Infant/Toddler	Kamng’ona et al. Scientific Reports;2019;9:12893 (65).
		28.6%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Karlsson et al, Obesity. 2012;20(11):2257–61 (57).
		14.3%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	López-Contreras et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2017;13(6):381–388 (59).
		57.1%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64).
				School-aged children	Borgo F et al, Childhood Obesity. 2017;13(1):78–84 (63). Payne et al. Nutrition & Diabetes. 2011;1(7):e12 (41).
				Adolescents	Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47).
	Lachnospiraceae	37.5%	Increase/Positive correlation	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64).
				School-aged children	Murugesan et al. Euro J of Clin Micro & Infect Diseases. 2015;34(7):1337–1346 (38).
				Adolescents	Del Chierico et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9:1–12 (31).
		62.5%	No difference/No association	School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54). Moran-Ramos et al, Gut Microbes. 2020; Jan 23:1–18 (36).
		62.5%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44). Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Prevotellaceae	25.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47).
		75.0%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64).
		75.0%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Rikenellaceae	77.8%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	Moran-Ramos et al, Gut Microbes. 2020; Jan 23:1–18 (36). Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53) López-Contreras et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2017;13(6):381–388 (59).
		77.8%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44). Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47). Bai et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2019;14(4):e12480 (42).
		22.2%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64).
		22.2%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Ruminococcaceae	50.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64).
				School-aged children	Leong et al. Am J of Clinical Nutrition. 2020’111(1):70–78 (58).
				Adolescents	Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
		33.3%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Ferrer et al, Environmental Microbiology. 2013;15:211–26 (44). Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47).
		16.7%	No difference/No association	School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54).
	Veillonellaceae	50.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Moran-Ramos et al, Gut Microbes. 2020; Jan 23:1–18 (36).
		50.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47).
		50.0%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Forbes et al, JAMA Pediatrics. 2018;172:e181161 (64).
		50.0%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
Genus	Bacteroides	57.1%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	Leong et al. Am J of Clinical Nutrition. 2020’111(1):70–78 (58).
		57.1%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Hou et al, BioMed Research International. 2017;7585989:1–8 (46). Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
		42.9%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
		42.9%	No difference/No association	School-aged children	Payne et al. Nutrition & Diabetes. 2011;1(7):e12 (41). Moran-Ramos et al, Gut Microbes. 2020; Jan 23:1–18 (36).
	Bifidobacterium	37.5%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Leong et al. Am J of Clinical Nutrition. 2020’111(1):70–78 (58).
		37.5%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39). Bai et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2019;14(4):e12480 (42).
		12.5%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54).
		50.0%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
				School-aged children	Karlsson et al, Obesity. 2012;20(11):2257–61 (57). Payne et al. Nutrition & Diabetes. 2011;1(7):e12 (41).
				Adolescents	Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Blautia	40.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39). Hou et al, BioMed Research International. 2017;7585989:1–8 (46).
		60.0%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
				School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54).
				Adolescents	Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Dialister	37.5%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Moran-Ramos et al, Gut Microbes. 2020; Jan 23:1–18 (36). López-Contreras et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2017;13(6):381–388 (59).
		37.5%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Bai et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2019;14(4):e12480 (42).
		25.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53)
		25.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Bai et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2019;14(4):e12480 (42).
		37.5%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47). Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Faecalibacterium	25.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53)
		25.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Bai et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2019;14(4):e12480 (42).
		25.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47). Bai et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2019;14(4):e12480 (42).
		50.0%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
				School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54). Leong et al. Am J of Clinical Nutrition. 2020’111(1):70–78 (58).
				Adolescents	Riva et al. Environmental Microbiology. 2017;19(1):95–105 (49).
	Lactobacillus	60.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Da Silva et al, Childhood Obesity. 2020;16(3):204–210 (54). Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39).
		60.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Bai et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2019;14(4):e12480 (42).
		40.0%	No difference/No association	School-aged children	Karlsson et al, Obesity. 2012;20(11):2257–61 (57). Payne et al. Nutrition & Diabetes. 2011;1(7):e12 (41).
	Prevotella	71.4%	Increase/Positive correlation	Infant/Toddler	Kamng’ona et al. Scientific Reports;2019;9:12893 (65).
				School-aged children	Moran-Ramos et al, Gut Microbes. 2020; Jan 23:1–18 (36). López-Contreras et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2017;13(6):381–388 (59).
				Adolescents	Nirmalkar et al, Nutrients. 2018;10(2009):1–23 (39). Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47).
		14.3%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Bai et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2019;14(4):e12480 (42).
		14.3%	No difference/No association	Infant/Toddler	Karvonen et al. International J of Obesity. 2019;43:713–723 (45).
	Sutterella	50.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	Moran-Ramos et al, Gut Microbes. 2020; Jan 23:1–18 (36). Chen et al, PeerJ. 2020;8:e8317 (53)
		50.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Hou et al, BioMed Research International. 2017;7585989:1–8 (46).
		33.3%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	López-Contreras et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2017;13(6):381–388 (59).
		33.3%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Bai et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2019;14(4):e12480 (42).
		16.7%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Hu et al, PLoS ONE. 2015;10(7):1–14 (47).
Species	B. ovatus	25.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	School-aged children	López-Contreras et al. Pediatric Obesity. 2017;13(6):381–388 (59).
		25.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	Adolescents	Mansour et al. Research J of Pharm, Biol, and Chem Sci. 2016;7(5):436–445 (48).
		50.0%	No difference/No association	School-aged children	Ignacio et al, Clin Microbial Infect. 2016;22:258.e1–258.e8 (56).
		50.0%	No difference/No association	Adolescents	Bervoets et al, Gut Pathogens. 2013;5:1–10 (29)
	F. prausnitzii	60.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Adolescents	Del Chierico et al, Frontiers in Microbiology. 2018;9:1–12 (31). Balamurugan et al, British J of Nutrition. 2010;103:335–338 (43)
		60.0%	Increase/Positive correlation	Infant/Toddler	Kamng’ona et al. Scientific Reports;2019;9:12893 (65).
		20.0%	Decrease/Negative correlation	School-aged children	Borgo F et al, Childhood Obesity. 2017;13(1):78–84 (63).
		20.0%	No difference/No association	School-aged children	Payne et al. Nutrition & Diabetes. 2011;1(7):e12 (41).

Microbes are only included in the above table if a relationship was reported with adiposity in two or more of the included articles. The percent column is the percentage of articles in agreement for each indicated association with adiposity by age group. The denominator used to calculate each percentage is the number of articles that reported a relationship with adiposity for that specific microbe. Note: if a study included data for two age groups, then that study was included twice in the denominator for a specific microbe (e.g. the denominator for Actinobacteria is 12)