Hmm… yesterday it was treating young kids for infections, now:
“Study finds links between obesity and antibiotics used to plump up livestock”
Farmers may have fuelled the obesity epidemic by fattening up livestock using antibiotics, a study has discovered.
Researchers found evidence that low exposure to the drugs upsets the delicate balance of gut bacteria which in turn alters metabolism.
The findings indicate a possible link between rising rates of obesity and modern farming methods.
Since the 1950s, farmers have used low non-therapeutic doses of antibiotics to increase the body weight of cows, sheep, pigs and chickens.
The practice has sparked fears of spreading antibiotic resistance as the drugs get into the food chain, leading to a tightening of the rules.
Using antibiotics to fatten up farm animals is now banned in the EU but still allowed in the US and other countries.
A new insidious plot by big Agra?
Seriously, Steve, do reporters even bother to READ the studies anymore? The Nature article this nonsensical story cites says NOTHING about a link between giving animals antibiotics and obesity in children. It concerns itself strictly with the affects on the animals (mice). Never let scientific details get in the way of a good scare story!