Defining the Role of the Gut Microbiome in Mediating the Effects of Obesity on Intestinal Stem Cells

New studies are revealing how a high-fat diet could be making the cells of the intestinal lining more likely to become cancerous. The investigators would like to study how obesity influences growth of intestinal stem cells, which could then trigger intestinal tumors. The investigators are proposing a Pilot Study of 20 subjects (comprised of 10 participants from each of two different BMI categories: 20-25 and 35 & above), who will be asked to provide blood, stool, & urine samples, undergo a flexible sigmoidoscopy, and complete food frequency questionnaires