Junhao Huang
Xu Yan
Bing Shen
Liwei Xie
Chia-Hua Kuo- 1Guangdong Provincial Key Laboratory of Physical Activity and Health Promotion, Guangzhou Sport University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, China
- 2Dr. Neher’s Biophysics Laboratory for Innovative Drug Discovery, State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicine, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao, Macao SAR, China
- 3Institute for Health and Sport, Victoria University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- 4Guangdong Institute of Microbiology, Guangdong Academy of Science, Guangzhou, China
- 5Laboratory of Exercise Biochemistry, Education University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, Hong Kong SAR, China
Editorial on the Research Topic
Exercise, diet, cytokines and obesity, volume II
Obesity remains one of the most critical global health crises of the modern era (1). For a long time, obesity has been considered as a simple equation of calories in versus calories out (2) Meanwhile, the traditional paradigm of obesity management often narrowly focused on weight loss. Currently, we understand that obesity is not only related to excess adiposity but also is a systemic chronic low-grade inflammation condition that contributes to its severe comorbidities (3). This inflammatory environment, driven by a dysregulated secretion of cytokines and hepatokines from adipose tissue and the liver, creates a vicious cycle of metabolic dysfunction and insulin resistance with increased risk for cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and sarcopenia (4). The articles in this Research Topic demonstrated how lifestyle interventions, particularly exercise and nutrition, work not merely by creating a calorie deficit, but by modulating this inflammatory environment, which offers a more powerful and sustainable framework for obesity management.
The narrative review by Sánchez et al. elucidates the critical role of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-α, IL-1β, and the dual-role of IL-6 in obesity’s pathophysiology. Importantly, it points out that exercise and nutrition are not just simple calorie-balancing tools, but are potent modulators of this immune-metabolic cross-talk. Acting as a “myokine therapy,” exercise stimulates the release of anti-inflammatory molecules from muscle, while anti-inflammatory dietary patterns can attenuate the production of pro-inflammatory cytokines.
The pilot randomized controlled trial from Yu et al. reported the feasibility and multifaceted health benefits of a 12-week online interactive Baduanjin exercise in adults with overweight and obesity. While the reduction in BMI was modest, the significant improvements in waist circumference, fatigue, anxiety, depression, and sleep quality were demonstrated. Reducing waist circumference, a marker of visceral fat, could directly inhibit the secrection of pro-inflammatory adipokines. Furthermore, by ameliorating psychological distress and sleep disorders, which are both causes and consequences of inflammation, could break the psycho-physiological loops that sustain obesity condition. This study highlights the benefits of exercise extend far beyond BMI.
The study from Liao et al. directly compared the effects of aquatic and land-based high-intensity interval training (HIIT) on selected bio- and physiological variables among obese adolescents. Both modalities effectively improved body composition, blood pressure, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in 4 weeks, highlighting HIIT as a time-efficient strategy. Furthermore, the superior improvements in lean body mass, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio, vital capacity, and total energy consumption in the aquatic HIIT group are particularly noteworthy. For individuals with obesity, who often face barriers like joint pain and mobility limitations, aquatic exercise provides a unique, low-impact environment that may enhance tolerability, safety, and enjoyment, which are critical for adherence.
Delving deeper into the molecular mechanisms, the research by Ataeinosrat et al. reported the effects of different exercise regimens on the modulation of hepatokines, which are liver-derived proteins. The finding revealed that 12 weeks of HIIT and Tabata training were more effective than moderate-intensity continuous training (MICT) in reducing levels of fetuin-B, FGF-21, FGL-1, and selenoprotein P. These hepatokines are implicated in promoting insulin resistance, hepatic steatosis, and inflammation. Their downregulation following high-intensity exercise offers a direct biochemical explanation for the metabolic improvements after such exercise interventions.
In conclusion, the aim of obesity management is not just for weight loss, but for the restoration of systemic health and resilience. However, it requires us to comprehensively understand the underlying mechanisms related to immune-metabolic cross-talk between muscle, liver, and adipose tissue. The evidence presented in the present Research Topic supports that a synergistic combination of regular and accessible exercise programs and anti-inflammatory dietary patterns is a powerful non-pharmacological therapy for obesity management.
Author contributions
JH: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. XY: Writing – review & editing. BS: Writing – review & editing. LX: Writing – original draft, Writing – review & editing. C-HK: Writing – review & editing.
Funding
The author(s) declared that financial support was not received for this work and/or its publication.
Conflict of interest
The author(s) declared that this work was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.
Generative AI statement
The author(s) declared that generative AI was not used in the creation of this manuscript.
Any alternative text (alt text) provided alongside figures in this article has been generated by Frontiers with the support of artificial intelligence and reasonable efforts have been made to ensure accuracy, including review by the authors wherever possible. If you identify any issues, please contact us.
Publisher’s note
All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article, or claim that may be made by its manufacturer, is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
References
1. Abad-Jiménez Z and Vezza T. Obesity: a global health challenge demanding urgent action. Biomedicines. (2025) 13:502. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines13020502
2. Hall KD, Sadaf FI, Friedman JM, Samuel K, Loos RJF, Mangelsdorf DJ, et al. The energy balance model of obesity: beyond calories in, calories out. Am J Clin Nutr. (2022) 115:1243–54. doi: 10.1093/ajcn/nqac031
3. Mcardle MA, Finucane OM, Connaughton RM, Mcmorrow AM, and Roche HM. Mechanisms of obesity-induced inflammation and insulin resistance: insights into the emerging role of nutritional strategies. Front Endocrinol. (2013) 4. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2013.00052
Keywords: cytokines, diet, exercise, inflammation, obesity
Citation: Huang J, Yan X, Shen B, Xie L and Kuo C-H (2026) Editorial: Exercise, diet, cytokines and obesity, volume II. Front. Endocrinol. 17:1774325. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2026.1774325
Received: 23 December 2025; Accepted: 05 January 2026; Revised: 23 December 2025;
Published: 21 January 2026.
Edited and reviewed by:
Katherine Samaras, St Vincent’s Hospital Sydney, AustraliaCopyright © 2026 Huang, Yan, Shen, Xie and Kuo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) and the copyright owner(s) are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Junhao Huang, anVuaGFvaHVhbmcyMDA2QGhvdG1haWwuY29t