Research

Hormonal

Obesity induces a state of chronic low-grade systemic inflammation driven by adipose tissue macrophage infiltration and pro-inflammatory cytokine release (TNF-α, IL-6, IL-1β), which contributes to insulin resistance and metabolic disease.

Obesity is not just about weight; it triggers a biological inflammatory response that harms metabolic health. Managing weight through diet and exercise can reduce this inflammation and lower the risk of diseases like diabetes and heart disease.

GoodSupportsHIGH confidence
In overweight and obesity, there exists low-grade chronic inflammation... The main source of pro-inflammatory cytokines in obesity is the adipose tissue; they are mainly produced by infiltrating macrophages... The main cytokines responsible of chronic inflammation are tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and the inflammasome-activated IL-1β mentioned earlier.
Heriberto Rodríguez-Hernández et al. · International Journal of Endocrinology · 2013

Why this rating

The paper is a review citing numerous observational and interventional studies, establishing strong consensus on the association, though specific causal interventions are less detailed.

Source

Obesity and Inflammation: Epidemiology, Risk Factors, and Markers of Inflammation

Heriberto Rodríguez-Hernández et al. · International Journal of Endocrinology · 2013

DOI 10.1155/2013/678159

narrative_reviewCited 473×
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DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10

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