Figure 2.

An obese state is associated with dysfunctional lipid metabolism including excessive lipolysis, which in turn leads to increased production and secretion of free fatty acids (FFAs). Elevated FFA levels can cause an abnormal pro-inflammatory response, and subsequent development of insulin resistance. Whereas, depleted intracellular antioxidant systems in the adipose tissue, mainly due to increased production of reactive oxygen species (ROS) can generate oxidative stress, and this can further lead to the development of insulin resistance. NADPH, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate.