Colonic Propionate, Appetite, and Weight Loss

Inclusion Criteria: * overweight or obese ((BMI) of 25-35 kg/m2) * healthy * aged between 18 and 65 years Exclusion Criteria: * Weight change of ≥ 3kg in the preceding 2 months * Undergone any weight loss surgery or gastric procedures to promote weight loss * Current smokers * Substance abuse * Excess alcohol intake * Pregnancy * Diabetes * Cardiovascular disease * Cancer * Gastrointestinal disease e.g. inflammatory bowel disease or irritable bowel syndrome * Kidney disease * Liver disease * Pancreatitis * Use of medications likely to interfere with energy metabolism, appetite regulation and hormonal balance, including: anti-inflammatory drugs or steroids, antibiotics, androgens, phenytoin, erythromycin or thyroid hormones. Any participants with the above conditions would already have an altered pattern of hormones and inflammatory molecules because of their disease process and would therefore give us confounding or misleading results.