Population:Morbidly obese non-smoking patients of the Department of Gastroenterology, candidates for possible bariatric treatment Criteria for inclusion: Males and females, 18- 65 years old, body mass index/BMI > 40 kg/m2 (or > 35 kg/m2 with comorbidities), non-hospitalized and receiving general oral diet, with elevated C-reactive protein/ CRP (> 5mg/L), and signing informed consent; Criteria for exclusion: SIRS, shock, coma or organ failure, fever or infectious foci, cancer with or without chemo/radiotherapy, inflammatory illnesses (rhematic, gastrointestinal or other), transplantation or immunologic diseases, trauma, surgery or hospitalization in the last 30 days, use of steroidal or non-steroidal anti-inflammatory or immune-modulating agents or antibiotics, and refusal to participate in the study; Dietetic routine: Daily flaxseed powder (Farinha de linhaca dourada) 60 g/day (232 kcal , containing 10 g of alpha-linolenic acid/ALA) or placebo (commercial manioc flour 60 g/day, 120 kcal)) during 12 weeks. An additional 60 subjects (30 patients, 30 controls) will ve managed with 30 ml/day flaxseed oil (10 g of alpha-linolenic acid/ALA) or 30 ml/day placebo (safflower oil).