Abstract: With the change of dietary structure and lifestyle, the rate of pediatric obesity is increasing year by year, which not only affects the growth and development, but also leads to the occurrence of metabolic diseases. Therefore, effective prevention and treatment measures should be taken regarding the pathogenesis of pediatric obesity. In recent years, with the development of high-throughput sequencing technology, many studies have pointed out that the structural characteristics of gut microbiota in obese children are different from those in normal children, which is manifested by the increase of relative abundance of Firmicutes and conditioned pathogen as well as the decrease of Bacteroidetes and probiotics. Modern medical science has shown that gut microbiota and its metabolites interact with the host, which can regulate the inflammation response, intestinal homeostasis, energy metabolism, eating behavior and expression of circadian rhythm genes, thus affecting the occurrence and development of obesity. Traditional Chinese medicine believes that the function of spleen is to govern transportation and transformation and is closely related to the gut microbiota in digestion and absorption as well as resistance to evil. When the spleen fails to transport and transform water, the water gathers into dampness and generates phlegm, blocking qi movement, thus affecting the intestinal function and immunity and disturbing the gut microbiota, which promotes the occurrence of obesity. This article reviews the current research progress in pathogenesis of gut microbiota and pediatric obesity, in order to provide new targets for the prevention and treatment of pediatric obesity and improve the clinical effectiveness.

Key words: Obesity, Gut microbiota, Short chain fatty acids, Children