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The FibreGum study – Changing the course of obesity

The goal of our study is to increase weight reduction in obese children and adolescents by stimulating the gut microbiome with a chewing-gum containing dietary fibres as an adjunct treatment to standard adiposity therapy.

Non-invasive and low-threshold treatments are needed to combat childhood obesity

Around one in six children in Switzerland is affected by overweight or obesity and the prevalence continues to rise. This increase in obesity and its associated comorbidities represents a huge socio-economic burden, as it leads to increased morbidity and mortality. Obesity is not only a chronic disease in itself, but also a major risk factor for the development of the world’s leading causes of poor health and early death; namely cardiovascular disease, various cancers, diabetes and osteoarthritis.

Preventing obesity in children and adolescents offers a unique opportunity to prevent the path to an unhealthy adult life. A low-threshold offer could be the key to success. For this reason, we have developed a chewing gum enriched with dietary fibre, the “FibreGum”, in cooperation with Delica AG. The aim of the FibreGum is to improve microbial diversity and promote beneficial metabolites while reducing snacking. To investigate the efficacy of this chewing gum, we are conducting a randomised placebo-controlled clinical trial with a cohort of 105 obese children and adolescents. Obese children and adolescents (age 10-16 years, >97th percentile) who would like to participate in the FibreGum study are welcome to ask their family doctor for a referral to the Adipositassprechstunde at the Kinderklinik Bern (http://www.kinderklinik.insel.ch/de/unser-angebot/adipositas/). All participants in the FibreGum study must attend the Adipositassprechstunde.

Project team: Prof. Dr. Maria Luisa Balmer, Inselspital (University Hospital of Bern) and University of Bern (leading the project); Dr. Christoph Saner, Children’s hospital, Inselspital (University Hospital of Bern); Dr. Marco Janner, Children’s hospital, Inselspital (University Hospital of Bern); Prof. Dominik Meinel, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland; Dr. Alexandra Stähli, Zahnmedizinische Kliniken Bern (University of Bern); Valentina Huwiler, Inselspital (University Hospital of Bern) and University of Basel; Marie-Aline Gerard, Diabetes Center Berne

Project funding: Diabetes Center Berne (research project), Von Tobel Stiftung (research project), Walter Fuchs Stiftung (research project), Swiss National Science Foundation