 Overweight and obesity are rapidly becoming one of the most pressing health problems. Obese subjects face an increased risk for cardiovascular events that is closely related to a cluster of metabolic disturbances i.e. insulin resistance, hypertension, dyslipidemia and impaired fibrinolysis, collectively referred to as syndrome X. The actual mechanism underlying development of syndrome X has not been elucidated. Increased TNF-alpha activity has been proposed as a key factor. 