Do you really choose what you eat - or do your gut microbes decide for you?

Why it's so difficult for meat eaters to become vegetarians - perhaps their microbes won't allow it

Most of us believe in free will, particularly when it comes to our eating habits. That’s why most people don’t regard obesity as a disease but rather a moral weakness or lack of willpower. But the free will argument has been taking a bit of a beating lately.

For example, we showed in studies using twins and others using families that the reason some people are overweight and others aren’t could partly be down to food preferences. Our food likes and dislikes are not just determined by the horrors of school food (beetroot for me)