normal individuals had 8% more brain tissue than those obese individuals

More controversial research which shows that obesity has a cognitive effect has been released by a team of scientists headed by Professor Paul Thompson from the University of California and  Cyrus A.Raji from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. The researchers decided to follow a simple pattern by a comparing the brains of normal weight, overweight and obese individuals. They used the Body Mass Index to assess weight and saw that there were significant differences in brain sizes and weight depending on the individuals BMI.

The results showed that normal individuals had eight percent more brain tissue than those individuals who were obese and that overweight individuals had around four percent less brain tissue than the normal weight people. Basically the results showed that the more excess fat that you carried the less brain tissue you had. Professor Thompson said that this was the first time a clear link had been identified between being overweight and having what he described as ‘severe brain degeneration’. He also said that the brains of those obese individuals who took part looked on average sixteen years older than the brains of thin people. He also noted that overweight individuals had brains that looked eight years older.

He described the reduction of brain tissue as a “big loss” and one which would definitely lead you to be at a greater risk of suffering from Alzheimer's and other forms of dementia. Ukmedix News has previously published research which shows a clear link between obesity and Alzheimer's.

The researchers said that the brain tissue tended to be depleted in the frontal and temporal lobes which are particularly important for planning and for memory as well as the anterior cingulate gyrus which is required for executive functions and attention.

The research was published in the journal Human Brain Mapping.