Effect of Weight Loss on Cardiovascular Disease Risk Factors in Obese Women

To date, research investigating obesity, inflammation, and cardiovascular disease has utilized lifestyle interventions focused on weight loss and exercise among groups with BMI classifications of normal, overweight and mildly obese. A limitation of recent investigations is the failure to utilize participants who are significantly overweight. Those whose BMI classification extends to Class II and Class III obesity (BMI \> 35.0, and BMI \> 40.0) have not yet been studied at length, yet these individuals have been shown to be able to substantially improve their cardiovascular risk profiles without attaining a BMI below 25. Inactivity has been linked to increased adiposity and a trend toward higher levels of cardiovascular disease risk. It is necessary to study the relationships between weight loss and weight loss with added physical activity among Class II and Class III obese participants in order to gain a more thorough knowledge of the effects of BMI on circulating markers of inflammation and the cardiac structural and functional changes associated with weight loss among this population. A second limitation of the current research is the use of strictly progressive resistance training protocols. The protocols used have increased constantly in intensity or volume, if not both. Constant increases in intensity tend to lead to overtraining among participants, highlighting a need for more variation of intensity and volume in the training protocol in order to avoid stagnation and overtraining. Finally, no research has studied the specific impact of diet and resistance training on either CRP or cardiovascular adaptations.