The Western lifestyle is a complex concept that includes the diet as the main axis of different factors which contribute to a detrimental effect on health, lower life expectancy and low quality-of-life. This type of diet is characterized by being high in calories, mainly provided by saturated fats, and rich in sugars that can lead to changes in immune cells and their responsiveness, by different mechanisms that have yet to be totally clarified. Inflammatory processes are perpetuated through different pathways, in which adipose tissue is a major factor. High fat stores in overweight and obesity accumulate energy but the endocrine function is also producing and releasing different bioactive compounds, adipokines, known to be pro-inflammatory and which play an important role in the pathogenesis of asthma. This review therefore explores the latest evidence regarding the adverse effect of the Western diet on adipose tissue inflammation and its causative effect on the asthma epidemic.
Keywords: Western lifestyle; adipose tissue; asthma; inflammation; obesity; saturated fats; simple carbohydrates.