Overweight? Here’s another reason to lose the excess

We know that blood indicators of inflammation are related to chronic diseases like cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer. One important marker is known as C-reactive protein (CRP). Large studies have shown in the past that high levels of CRP are associated with overweight and obesity as indicated by high Body Mass Index, Waist-to-Hip Ratio, and waist circumference. Scientists at Johns Hopkins and the University of Texas sought to find out if the inverse was true: if people lost weight, did their blood levels of CRP decrease as well?

They reviewed 28 studies of weight loss in adults that also included tests of CRP (Arch Intern Med 2007;167:31-39). These studies were limited to those that were designed primarily to study weight loss, and the interventions included surgery, lifestyle changes, diet, or exercise.

After analyzing the different types of interventions, they found that across all types of interventions, the blood levels of CRP decreased fairly steadily as the subject's weight decreased. In fact, the largest amounts of weight lost were directly related to the greatest reduction in CRP.

What this means for you

It's clear that being overweight carries increased health risks; this is just one more piece of data. If you're overweight, decide today to eat healthier. Here are 10 Quick Tips for Eating Healthy.

First posted: January 12, 2007