There seems to be more and more evidence coming out that inflammation is a cause of weight gain; and conversely, weight gain increases the inflammation in the body. The thought is that inflammation in the body causes a resistance to the hormone leptin. Leptin acts on receptors in the hypothalamus to decrease your appetite; Lepitn also increases your metabolism by increasing energy expenditure. Leptin-resistance is thought to be a significant factor in obesity just like insulin resistance is a factor in diabetes. As I mentioned, inflammation seems to increase weight gain and weight gain seems to further increase bodily inflammation. There are a number of things that you can do to reduce inflammation and thus assist with weight loss as well as better overall health. First, eliminate or at least limit all junk food from your diet. Reduce sugar and "white" carbs such as white bread, white rice and pasta made of white flour. Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables. Avoid margarine. Increase the intake of Omega 3 foods in your diet (see post on fish oil). Take a good anti-oxidant (see Juice Plus link), add an Omega 3 supplement, take CLA. Remember to drink your H2O and, of course, don't forget to exercise if medically able. Reduce stress where possible and get adequate sleep. There are a number of other supplements that can help reduce body inflammation such as the Indian spice Turmeric, the digestive enzyme Bromelain, the herb Boswellia and good old green tea. Adding ginger or ginger tea to your diet can also help reduce inflammation. As an aside, after only a few days of taking these supplements, my morning knee pain completely disappeared. Hope this information is helpful.