Obesity is today a global epidemic and most people across countries and cultures fight the menace constantly. This condition is dangerous as it can lead to severe health complications. When fat cells in the body are stuffed with excess fat the surrounding tissue becomes inflamed. That chronic low-level inflammation is one of the driving factors behind many of the diseases associated with obesity. Now UT Southwestern scientists have discovered a type of cell responsible at least in mice for triggering this inflammation in fat tissue. Their findings published in Nature Metabolism could eventually lead to new ways to treat obesity.