The Weight Cycle (Conclusion)

Dr. Gupta outlines a few rules for an eating regimen that both targets excess weight and manages inflammation: About half the plate should be filled with non-starchy vegetables and fruit, a quarter should be lean protein such as chicken, and a quarter should consist of whole grains, such as quinoa or brown rice. “The nice thing about those foods is that they are rich in fiber. They’re rich in micronutrients or vitamins and minerals.” Dr. Gupta says, “All of those components are helpful in weight loss because fiber helps you feel full. They’re also not very calorie-dense, so that will help with a decrease in caloric intake.” The same foods are anti-inflammatory, and Dr. Gupta notes that certain healthy foods, including berries, fatty fish such as salmon, and cruciferous vegetables such as kale, are linked to a stronger anti-inflammatory response, which is why they’re often described as superfoods.

But diet may not be enough to lower inflammation levels. Hultin explains that if she has a client who eats a healthy vegan diet but isn’t sleeping well, the diet alone isn’t going to decrease inflammation,” says Hultin. “I think that people tend to look at things in such an individualized way, but it really needs to be holistic.”

Stress is another factor that could contribute to both weight and inflammation. “A chronic stress response where you’re not having a stress response for a day or two days, but it really is that chronic stress day after day, week after week, month after month, year after year can also correlate with inflammation,” says Dr. Gupta. “And we know that that’s linked to increased visceral fat. Our bodies will then deposit that around, especially our midsection.”

While lifestyle changes can make a meaningful difference in taming inflammation and, in turn, managing weight, the body’s systems that affect and are affected by both coordinate in intricate, detailed fashion. Dr. Gupta says she urges her patients to start small. “I suggest a lifestyle-first approach to identifying one area where someone feels confident that they’re ready to make a change and that they can make a change,” she states. “Then making those changes in a slow and steady way, like that classic saying, ‘Slow and steady wins the race.’”