Inflammation is an important physiological response of the organism to restore homeostasis upon pathogenic or damaging stimuli. However, the persistence of the harmful trigger or a deficient resolution of the process can evolve into a state of low-grade, chronic inflammation. This condition is strongly associated with the development of several increasingly prevalent and serious chronic conditions, such as obesity, cancer, and cardiovascular diseases, elevating overall morbidity and mortality worldwide. The current pandemic of chronic diseases underscores the need to address chronic inflammation, its pathogenic mechanisms, and potential preventive measures to limit its current widespread impact. The present review discusses the current knowledge and research gaps regarding the association between low-grade chronic inflammation and chronic diseases, focusing on obesity, cardiovascular diseases, digestive diseases, and cancer. We examine the state of the art in selected aspects of the topic and propose future directions and approaches for the field.

Overweight postmenopausal women may be more susceptible to bone loss with weight reduction than previously studied obese women. The influence of energy restriction and Ca intake on BMD was assessed in 66 individuals. Weight reduction resulted in bone loss at several sites in women consuming 1 g Ca/day and was mitigated with higher calcium intake at 1.7 g/day. Introduction: Bone loss is associated with weight loss in obese postmenopausal women and can be prevented with calcium (Ca) supplementation. However, because bone loss caused by weight loss may be greater in overweight than obese women, it is not clear whether Ca supplementation is also beneficial in overweight women. Materials and Methods: We assessed the influence of caloric restriction at two levels of Ca intake on BMD and BMC in 66 overweight postmenopausal women (age, 61 ± 6 years; body mass index, 27.0 ± 1.8 kg/m²). Subjects completed either a 6‐month energy‐restricted diet (WL, n = 47) and lost 9.3 ± 3.9 % weight or maintained weight (WM; 1 g Ca/day, n = 19). Participants in the WL group were randomly assigned to either normal (1 g/day; WL NL‐Ca) or high (1.7 g/day; WL Hi‐Ca) Ca intake. Regional BMD and BMC were measured at baseline and after 6 months. Results: During normal Ca intake, trochanter BMD and BMC and total spine BMD were decreased more in WL than WM women (p < 0.05). The WL NL‐Ca group lost more trochanter BMD (−4.2 ± 4.1%) and BMC (−4.8 ± 7.1%) than the WL Hi‐Ca group (−1.4 ± 5.6% and −1.1 ± 8.1%, respectively; p < 0.05). There were no significant changes in BMD or BMC at the femoral neck in any group. Weight loss correlated with trochanter BMD loss (r = 0.687, p < 0.001) in the WL NL‐Ca group. Conclusion: Despite an intake of 1 g Ca/day, bone loss occurred at some sites because of weight loss. Calcium intake of 1.7 g/day will minimize bone loss during weight loss in postmenopausal overweight women.

Background:During the nutrition transition in Chile, dietary changes were marked by increased consumption of high-energy, nutrient-poor products, including sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs). Obesity is now the primary nutritional problem in posttransitional Chile. Objective:We conducted a randomized controlled trial to examine the effects on body composition of delivering milk beverages to the homes of overweight and obese children to displace SSBs. Design:We randomly assigned 98 children aged 8–10 y who regularly consumed SSBs to intervention and control groups. During a 16-wk intervention, children were instructed to drink 3 servings/d (≈200 g per serving) of the milk delivered to their homes and to not consume SSBs. Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Data were analyzed by multiple regression analysis according to the intention-to-treat principle. Results:For the intervention group, milk consumption increased by a mean (± SEM) of 452.5 ± 37.7 g/d (P < 0.0001), and consumption of SSBs decreased by −711.0 ± 33.7 g/d (P < 0.0001). For the control group, milk consumption did not change, and consumption of SSBs increased by 71.9 ± 33.6 g/d (P = 0.04). Changes in percentage body fat, the primary endpoint, did not differ between groups. Nevertheless, the mean (± SE) accretion of lean body mass was greater (P = 0.04) in the intervention (0.92 ± 0.10 kg) than in the control (0.62 ± 0.11 kg) group. The increase in height was also greater (P = 0.01) in the intervention group (2.50 ± 0.21 cm) than in the control group (1.77 ± 0.20 cm) for boys but not for girls. Conclusion:Replacing habitual consumption of SSBs with milk may have beneficial effects on lean body mass and growth in children, despite no changes in percentage body fat. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00149695.

Bone mineral density (BMD) is highly correlated with body weight, and weight loss is associated with reduced BMD. Whether such losses of BMD increase skeletal fragility is unclear. We examined the effect of 9 wk of energy restriction (ER) on bone density, mineral and matrix protein composition and biomechanical properties in mature (20 wk old, n = 12) and aged (48 wk old, n = 16) female rats. Energy-restricted rats were fed 40% less energy than controls that consumed food ad libitum. Bone content of mineral (ash and calcium content) and matrix proteins (hydroxyproline, pyridinium crosslinks and proteoglycans), serum hormones, site-specific bone density and biomechanical properties (peak load, peak torque, shear stiffness and bending stiffness) were measured at the conclusion of the study. In both age groups, ER reduced body weight by 15 ± 10% (P < 0.001) and dramatically decreased femoral bone density by 32–35% (P < 0.01) compared with controls. Energy restriction resulted in a small reduction in tibia and humerus density, as well as biomechanical properties in the aged but not mature rats (P < 0.05). Reduced serum levels of insulin and estradiol due to ER in aged rats (P < 0.05) may play a role in altering bone quality. These data show that although weight loss due to ER is detrimental to some bone parameters in mature rats, only aged rats show consistent reductions in bone density and biomechanical properties.