Research
Energy balance
Physical activity interventions alone result in inconsistent improvements in inflammatory markers, likely due to smaller magnitude of weight loss and maintenance of fat-free mass.
Exercise alone may not significantly reduce inflammation if it does not lead to substantial weight loss. Combining exercise with dietary changes is likely more effective for improving inflammatory markers.
ModerateQualifiesMEDIUM confidence
Overall, few studies (n 5) used physical activity to induce weight loss, which did not exceed 5% (3 kg) in any study... due to the smaller amount of weight resulting changes in ORIM are also somewhat inconsistent.
Why this rating
Based on a small number of studies (n=5) with inconsistent results.
Source
Obesity and inflammation: the effects of weight loss
L. K. Forsythe et al. · Nutrition Research Reviews · 2008
DOI 10.1017/s0954422408138732
narrative_reviewCited 372×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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- Weight loss interventions improve obesity-related inflammatory markers (ORIM), with the greatest improvements occurring when weight loss exceeds 10%.Good
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