Research

Hormonal

Higher baseline levels of inflammation (indicated by insulin, IL-6, adipose tissue inflammation, cortisol, and leptin) are associated with a worse weight loss response to lifestyle modification therapy.

If you have high insulin or inflammation, standard diet and exercise advice may be less effective for you. This doesn't mean you can't lose weight, but it may require more targeted approaches, such as specific dietary changes (e.g., low-carbohydrate vs. low-fat) or medications that address these specific hormonal issues. Consult a provider to check these markers.

GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
Combined, these studies suggest that higher levels of inflammation (as expressed by such factors as adipose tissue inflammation, cortisol, adiponectin, and leptin) appear to be associated with a worse weight loss response to LMT.
Eric M. Bomberg et al. · Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2019

Why this rating

Based on multiple prospective trials and cohort studies cited in the review.

Source

Precision medicine in adult and pediatric obesity: a clinical perspective

Eric M. Bomberg et al. · Therapeutic Advances in Endocrinology and Metabolism · 2019

DOI 10.1177/2042018819863022

narrative_reviewCited 49×
Read the paper
DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

This is one finding among thousands. Every one is graded and traced to its source, so you can see what the evidence actually supports. Browse the research →