BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Some inflammation in the body is a good thing to fight off infections -- but for people who are obese, the inflammation becomes chronic and spirals out of control. How does this damage occur?

Scientists at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine conducted a unique experiment to prove that fatty acids in the blood stream are responsible for triggering disease.

They injected a fat mixture into young, healthy adults until the fatty-acid levels in their bloodstreams were typical of patients with obesity and diabetes. The results? These previously-healthy volunteers temporarily developed signs of diabetes and inflammation.

Researchers said the results prove that the real danger from obesity comes from this excess of fatty acids -- the fat in the bloodstream directly activates inflammatory cells.

The good news, they said, is that it is possible to reduce the fat in a person's system with simple lifestyle changes -- eating a diet that is low in saturated fat and getting regular exercise are both effective ways to trim down and reduce inflamed tissues in the body.