Obesity and Inflammation
Weight, body fat and distribution can be measured objectively. If a person is depositing more body fat in the middle this is central visceral(organ) abdominal fat and is the most dangerous. This indicates that body fat is being stored in and around your vital organs. It is better to have stored body fat on the hips and buttocks than in the abdomen.
Obesity is an inflammatory condition because:
- Fat cells are not just inactive storage vehicles
- They actively secrete > 100 proteins, fatty acids, hormones and inflammatory substances that cause inflammation
- Fat cells are rich in arachidonic acid (AA) which leads to inflammation
- 1/3 of IL-6 (inflammatory agent) is produced by fat cells
- Fat increases TNF-alpha( inflammatory agent) production
Exercise prescriptions and nutritional guidelines that emphasize an overall balanced diet that is rich in nutrients but lower in calories and anti-inflammatory in nature are two of the elements of the treatment protocols recommended in Age Management Medicine for the control of silent inflammation. Exercise is a key component. The most recent research of silent inflammation adds a much more powerful, validated, objective argument for reasons regarding why we need to pay attention to diet, stress, and exercise. Anti-inflammatory food/supplements and anti-inflammatory exercise are both forms of potent medicine.