## 4 Discussion  
The growing interest in research on the role of intestinal microbiota in obesity and the view that modification in the composition of intestinal bacteria can help achieve permanent weight loss [33] prompted us to conduct this experiment. The main aim of this study was to investigate the effect of consuming yogurt containing _Lactobacillus acidophilus_ LA-5 and _Bifidobacterium lactis_ BB-12 strains on selected anthropometric parameters in obese people on an energy-restricted diet. To the best of our knowledge, an intervention consisting of inserting yogurt with the strains mentioned above into the hypocaloric diet with a comparison of the results in regard to the effects of a balanced reduction diet without yogurt has not previously been conducted. The practical aspect of the study is manifested in the fact that the used yogurt is a product widely available, often used in nutritional plans devised by dieticians. The basic approach in anti-obesity diet therapy is to lead the patient to an energy deficit, which should cause weight loss. The practical goal is to obtain and maintain long-term body weight reduced by 5-10% of the current weight. In patients with a high risk of cardiovascular disease, a reduction and maintenance of body weight by 3-5% brings a significant improvement in lipid and carbohydrate metabolism [28; 34]. As [PERSON] et al. [35] showed, this effect would not be satisfactory for obese patients, because their common perceptions about the desired weight loss oscillate around -38.4%, which is often not possible to achieve. That is why it is worth paying attention to the fact that even a small reduction in body weight brings positive health effects. Unfortunately, only 20% of people who have reduced their body weight manage to maintain the achieved effect for at least another year [36]. For this reason, it is worth looking for solutions that will help in long-term weight management. One such strategy that has been of interest to scientists for years may be the introduction of probiotics into the diet. Some reports suggest that the inclusion in the diet of probiotic strains of the _Lactobacillus_ genus may have beneficial effects on reducing weight and improving body composition both through the use of probiotic preparations and food products after 12 weeks of application [37; 38]. It has been shown that the inclusion of _Lactobacillus gasseri_ SBT2055 or BNR17 and _Lactobacillus amylovorus_ CP1563 in overweight adults seems to be justified, as they may promote a reduction in overall body weight. Similar effects were noted for _Lactobacillus plantarum_ TENSIA and _Lactobacillus rhamnus_ CGMCC13724 in combination with a hypocaloric diet. Furthermore, combinations of _Lactobacillus plantarum_ KY1032 with _Lactobacillus curvatus_ HY7601, and _Lactobacillus acidophilus_ LA-14 with _Lactobacillus case_ LC-11 and phenolic compounds can contribute to obtaining similar results [39]. On the other hand, [PERSON] et al. [40] noted weight gain using _Lactobacillus rhamnus_ StLr and _Lactobacillus acidophilus_ StL. However, this could be due to the inclusion of yogurt in the participant's diet leading to an energy surplus. Furthermore, in the study using _Lactobacillus reuteri_ JBD301 in intervention, weight gain was noted among the participants; however, the probiotic group gained less weight than the control [41]. One possible explanation for this is that _Lactobacillus reuteri_ can improve the ability to absorb and process nutrients in the intestine [42]. Several teams of researchers [19; 43; 44; 45] have already undertaken interventions with LA-5 and BB-12, but their research designs were different from ours, and anthropometric parameters were a secondary assessment. This study showed no significant difference in the progression of weight reduction between GP and GRD groups. The results obtained are in line with the conclusions drawn by [PERSON] et al. [43], who used yogurt with LA-5 and BB-12 and a placebo on a group of obese women.