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Study reveals shocking effects of obesity on brain

Thu, Aug 08 2009

Compared to their normal-weight peers, obese individuals have smaller and older brains, indicative of destructive processes that can lead to dementia. Previous studies had reported obesity to be associated with various health problems including an increased risk of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and certain cancers.

According to a study published in Human Brain Mapping, obese individuals have 8 percent less brain tissue than their lean counterparts. The amount, however, is reduced to 4 percent in those classified as overweight.

The brain of obese individuals is also reported to be 16 years older than that of normal-weight individuals.

The main tissue loss is reported to occur in the frontal and temporal lobes (areas in the brain responsible for planning and memory), in the anterior cingulate gyrus (attention and executive functions), hippocampus (long-term memory) and basal ganglia (movement) of the brains of the obese individuals.

Overweight individuals, however, showed brain loss in the basal ganglia, the corona radiate (white matter comprised of axons) and the parietal lobe (sensory lobe).

"That's a big loss of tissue and it depletes your cognitive reserves, putting you at much greater risk of Alzheimer's and other diseases that attack the brain," said lead researcher Paul Thompson.

Scientists concluded that adopting a balanced diet, exercising and keeping ones weight under control are the best ways to reduce the risk of Alzheimer's disease.