TNF and Obesity: However, as the adipose tissue of people with obesity secretes higher amounts of inflammatory molecules (e.g., CRP, TNF-α, IL-6, adiponectin and leptin) than the adipose tissue of lean individuals20, BMI has been reported to be a major mediator of the inflammation-depression relationship, leading to substantial variability in the conclusions across studies regarding the relationship between depression and inflammatory factors21, 22, 23.