A new study reported that obese or overweight people have usually poorer memory. This study was published in the medical journal,“Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.” On the basis of memory test, each extra point added on the calculated body mass index (BMI) resulted in a drop in one-point on the test. This indicated that the more obese an individual is, the more memory problems he/she will have. Read on to know more about how being overweight can cause memory problems.
Many people are aware of the health risks linked with obesity such as high blood pressure, high cholesterol, cancer and heart disease. But according to this new research, brain function is also added to the list of health risks.
About the Study
A team of researchers from the University of Pittsburgh and Northwestern University conducted the new study on 8, 745 women ranging from 65-79 years. The basic questionnaires consisted of their background, overall health and lifestyle. The final results showed that being overweight or obese directly linked to memory problems.
The team found that being obese or overweight around the hips is more harmful than being obese or overweight around the waist area. Still, a concrete evidence is not present which correlates memory problems and being overweight or obese. Although, it is suspected that somehow the excessive weight affects the hormone levels of an overweight or obese individual.
Changes in the hormone levels can severely affect the way the brain functions. This adds credibility to the hypothesis. Also, they speculated that maybe the whole human body is adversely affected by being overweight or obese. The circulatory and heart related problems associated with obesity may also affect the way brain functions.
