Regardless of weight, inactivity may be a precursor to metabolic syndrome, suggests a new study published online in PLOS One. Independent of body mass index (BMI), greater cardiorespiratory fitness in men was linked to a smaller waist circumference and less inflammation. This inverse relationship with increased fitness was also evident in women for both abdominal adiposity and inflammation. In both sexes, more abdominal fat - marked by a 0.39 inch (1 cm) increase in waist circumference - was also linked with more inflammation, independent of BMI.