Obesity centered metabolic diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and cancer are increasing at an alarming rate worldwide and have become global public health concerns. The treatment of obesity and related metabolic diseases has gradually become a research hotspot. Currently, an increasing number of studies have proved that gut microbiota can regulate energy balance and glycolipid metabolism, and regulate the occurrence and development of obesity and related metabolic diseases. It is very likely that the gut microbiota is a potential new target for the treatment and prevention of metabolic diseases. In this paper, we summarize the progress of gut microbiota in the development and progression of obesity associated metabolic diseases and analyze the role of gut microbiota in metabolic diseases.