Obese people beware: Your weight may have a surprising impact on your brain function

A new study says that as a person's weight goes up, all regions of the brain go down in activity and blood flow. This increases risk of many psychiatric and cognitive disorders.

By: Jahnavi Sarma | | Updated: August 10, 2020 3:53 pm

This study highlights the need to address obesity as a target for interventions designed to improve brain function, be it Alzheimer disease prevention initiatives or attempts to optimize cognition in younger populations. @Shutterstock

Obesity is the leading cause of many chronic diseases including diabetes and heart disease. Today, morbid obesity has assumed pandemic proportions around the world. Many experts have studied the effects of this condition on your body. Now, according to a new study at Amen Clinics, one of the leading brain-centered mental health clinics in the United States, as a person’s weight goes up, all regions of the brain go down in activity and blood flow. This new brain imaging study was published in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease. Researchers say that Higher BMI is linked to decreased cerebral blood flow, which is associated with increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease and mental illness. Also Read - Beware! Obesity can lead to severe brain pressure disorder

Low cerebral blood flow is the main risk factor

In one of the largest studies linking obesity with brain dysfunction, scientists analyzed over 35,000 functional neuroimaging scans using single-photon emission computerized tomography (SPECT) from more than 17,000 individuals to measure blood flow and brain activity. Low cerebral blood flow is the number one brain imaging predictor that a person will develop Alzheimer’s disease. It is also associated with depression, ADHD, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, traumatic brain injury, addiction, suicide, and other conditions. Also Read - Obesity, alcohol consumption can lower effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines

Psychiatric and cognitive risks of being overweight

Researchers say that this study shows that being overweight or obese seriously impacts brain activity and increases the risk for Alzheimer’s disease as well as many other psychiatric and cognitive conditions. Striking patterns of progressively reduced blood flow were found in virtually all regions of the brain across categories of underweight, normal weight, overweight, obesity, and morbid obesity. These were noted while participants were in a resting state as well as while performing a concentration task. In particular, brain areas noted to be vulnerable to Alzheimer’s disease, the temporal and parietal lobes, hippocampus, posterior cingulate gyrus, and precuneus, were found to have reduced blood flow along the spectrum of weight classification from normal weight to overweight, obese, and morbidly obese. Also Read - Menopause may increase forgetfulness, lack of attention

Obesity causes the brain to shrink

Considering the latest statistics showing that 72 per cent of Americans are overweight of whom 42 per cent are obese, this is distressing news for America’s mental and cognitive health. Acceptance that Alzheimer’s disease is a lifestyle disease, little different from other age-related diseases, that is the sum of a lifetime is the most important breakthrough of the decade. Researchers provide compelling evidence that obesity alters blood supply to the brain to shrink the brain and promote Alzheimer’s disease. This is a major advance because it directly demonstrates how the brain responds to our body. This study highlights the need to address obesity as a target for interventions designed to improve brain function, be it Alzheimer disease prevention initiatives or attempts to optimize cognition in younger populations. Such work will be crucial in improving outcomes across all age groups.

Guidelines that you must follow

Although the results of this study are deeply concerning, researchers say that there is hope. They believe that brain’s function can be improved by adopting brain-healthy habits, such as a healthy calorie-smart diet and regular exercise.

(With inputs from Agencies)

Published : August 9, 2020 2:09 pm | Updated:August 10, 2020 3:53 pm

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