Why chronic inflammation is one of our biggest health threats

Experts say this lifestyle-created condition may be at the root of illnesses ranging from diabetes to depression, writes Fiona Baker

Here’s the profile of the average sufferer of chronic inflammation: has a diet high in sugar and processed foods, isn’t sleeping well, experiencesprolonged stress, doesn’t get enough exercise and is carrying too much belly fat. Sound like anyone you know?

Chances are that even if you don’t fit this profile, other members of your family do. In fact, many health experts believe that it would be a rare adult in the developed world who isn’t walking around with some level of chronic inflammation.

Chronic inflammation has been called a “man-made” condition because of its direct links to the 21st century “western lifestyle”. Since the condition was first uncovered by scientists in the 1990s, it’s gained prominence as a fairly serious health issue, with more and more scientific data linking it to health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and othermetabolic disorders, obesity, depression and even dementia and cancer. From a vanity point of view, inflammation also appears to be a key factor in visible signs of ageing, such as of the skin.