Gene expression of both MCP‐1 and F4/80 have been shown to be dramatically increased with obesity (Nickelson et al. 2012) but were significantly improved in the current report and were associated with reductions in some inflammatory gene responses (IL‐1β, TNFα, IL‐6) following 12 weeks of moderate treadmill training in HF‐fed animals. Here, CCL2 is linked to obesity due to melanocortin 4 receptor deficiency.