Research
Hormonal
Obesity creates a pro-inflammatory environment in white adipose tissue that impairs signaling of fibroblast growth factor 21 (FGF21) by downregulating its co-receptor β-Klotho, leading to FGF21 resistance.
In obesity, the body's natural fat-burning signals (like FGF21) get blocked by inflammation. This means that simply having high levels of these hormones doesn't work; the fat cells stop listening. Reducing inflammation may be necessary to restore these fat-burning pathways.
GoodRefutesHIGH confidence
It is important to notice that in obese patients, FGF21 signalling is impaired by the pro-inflammatory environment established in WAT masses, because increased tumour necrosis factor α develops an FGF21-resistant phenotype by interfering with the expression of β-Klotho co-receptor.
Why this rating
Well-documented in literature cited; explains a key barrier to therapeutic success.
Source
Factors involved in white‐to‐brown adipose tissue conversion and in thermogenesis: a review
Tommaso Montanari et al. · Obesity Reviews · 2017
DOI 10.1111/obr.12520
narrative_reviewCited 189×
Read the paper DOI resolved against Crossref · corpus check 2026-06-10
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