How Maintaining a Healthy Weight Boosts Immunity

Getting to your fighting weight–the optimal, healthy weight for your body–has been shown to boost the effectiveness of your immune system in a variety of ways.

Excess fat elevates chronic inflammation, which suppresses the immune system, whereas slimming down reduces dangerous inflammation, allowing the immune system to function more effectively.

Research suggests that lean individuals tend to secrete anti-inflammatory markers, while obese individuals are more likely to secrete pro-inflammatory markers. Inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP), among others, are used to detect inflammation in the body.

A 2022 study in the Cureus medical journal describes obesity as a complex disease associated with an increase in several inflammatory markers, leading to chronic inflammation. The researchers explored these indicators of chronic disease and the role of macrophages, B-cells, T-cells, fatty acids, amino acids, adipokines, and hormones in obesity.

Brown fat also plays a role in fat-induced inflammation, as this type of fat is associated with a lower body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage. If you read Brown Fat―Defined, you learned that this kind of fat is highly beneficial, supporting efficient calorie burning and healthy weight loss as well as offering protection from chronic inflammation. The good news is you can increase your brown to white fat ratio naturally. 

Bottom line, the fatter you are, the greater your state of chronic, systemic inflammation which impairs healthy immunity. Safe ways to reach and maintain a healthy weight include reducing stress, eating fresh, healthy foods, staying within your daily calorie needs, getting enough sleep, and engaging in regular physical activity.

You may also like A Plant-Based Diet for Weight Loss, How to Break the Cycle of Emotional Eating, and 5 Important Reasons to Keep a Food Journal. You can also watch this short video on how keeping a food journal promotes healthy weight loss.