The Inflammation-Fat Connection Visceral fat is not passive storage โ€” it is metabolically active tissue that secretes pro-inflammatory cytokines (TNF-alpha, IL-6, IL-1beta) that create a state of chronic low-grade inflammation throughout the body. This inflammation then drives further fat accumulation by impairing insulin signalling, disrupting leptin sensitivity, and increasing cortisol. It is a self-reinforcing cycle that makes fat loss progressively harder the longer it continues. Research from Harvard Medical School shows that people with elevated inflammatory markers (CRP, IL-6) lose 3โ€ฆ