Fat cells create chemical signals that cause inflammation, especially when the person is eating a high calorie or highly inflammatory diet. Not only are extra calories stored as fat, but the role of fat becomes more than just storage of extra calories; fat cells start to manufacture inflammatory mediators.
As more weight gain occurs, more inflammation is triggered. Research as shown that as peoples weight increases, so do their levels of the inflammatory, marker CRP, C-reactive protein. Even in children obesity is accompanied by metabolic changes including elevated inflammatory markers, high blood pressure and high cholesterol! The good news is that as people lose weight and the BMI decreases, markers of inflammation can and usually do also decrease.
Inflammation is an internal process that usually occurs in response to injury or physical trauma. The initiating insult may be physical, chemical (severe allergic reaction) or biological. Sometimes inflammation can occur acutely, but it may also evolve into a chronic problem.
The word “inflammation” comes from the Latin inflammare, meaning, “to set on fire.” The cardinal signs of inflammation are redness, heat, swelling, and pain. These signs may be seen at certain times, but not necessarily always present or all together. In a best-case healing scenario, acute inflammation leads to repair and healing. It is when the inflammatory response is abnormal, exaggerated, or prolonged, such as in poor lifestyle habits, that problems can occur.
Acute inflammation is characterized by joint pain and stiffness; redness; swollen joints that are painful to the touch; loss of function; and possible flu-like symptoms such as fever, chills, decreased appetite, and fatigue. Inflammatory substances produced by the body may irritate the joints and wear down the cartilage leading to arthritic changes in the joints themselves. Add to that the weight gain that is often times present, and the hips, knees, ankles and spine all begin to experience degenerative/arthritic changes.
Inflammation can also affect internal organs, especially in and or contributing to, autoimmune diseases, which lead to a state of chronic inflammation. Depending on the affected location, inflammation can contribute to high blood pressure, asthma attacks, diarrhea, cardiovascular disease and more. Inflammation plays a role in the development and progression of coronary artery disease, a type of cardiovascular disease. When inflammation occurs in the coronary arteries, it can trigger a series of events that can lead to the deposit of plaque within the arteries, heart attack and stroke.
Type 2 diabetes, obesity, and insulin resistance are closely intertwined with inflammation. Research shows that people with metabolic syndrome have higher blood levels of the inflammatory marker C-reactive protein (CRP).
Metabolic syndrome is a constellation of risk factors that increase one’s risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. The signs and symptoms of metabolic syndrome include increased fat around the mid-section (often times coming on slowly and seemingly impossible to lose) high blood pressure, elevated blood sugar or insulin resistance, increased triglycerides, decreased levels of HDL (“good cholesterol”).
The Fit Fun & Fabulous, At Any Age Program was specifically written and designed to stop Metabolic Syndrome at its source, inflammation. We first measure the important biomarkers of aging so we have a Biological Age base line. That is right, there is a difference between your biological age and your chronological age. The anti-inflammatory lifestyle of the Fit, Fun & Fabulous Program can help you to become measurably younger than your chronological age! AND you can feel Fabulous in the process!
Begin your anti-inflammatory lifestyle today with the Fit, Fun & Fabulous Program! And make sure you watch those numbers from blood pressure to blood sugar to your waist circumference, things are about to change!