Proposal to Examine the Effect of Fecal Transplantation on Obesity

The investigators propose to transplant feces from thin, disease-free donors into obese patients undergoing colonoscopy for screening for colorectal carcinoma. The investigators will obtain feces from healthy donors with a BMI of between 21-24. The investigators will perform colonoscopy on healthy patients with a BMI of 30-40 kg/m2 who have a clear indication for a screening examination. All patients will undergo a screening colonoscopy and will be allocated to receive either 250 ml of diluted fecal material prepared from a screened donor, or an equivalent volume of normal saline (sham transplantation). The patients will be reviewed at 1 3 6 and 12 months. At this time note will be made of their weight, BMI and waist circumference. In addition note will be made of their fasting glucose and lipid profile.