Obesity - a factor that causes memory loss

VOV.VN - According to scientists, being overweight or obese may cause temporary changes in the structure and function of the brain.

British scientists have just published a new study that has reinforced suspicions that obesity and being overweight can easily cause memory disorders and decline.

The results of a recent study published in the British medical journal by scientists from Cambridge University said that a high body mass index (BMI) is often associated with poor performance in the ability to retain episodic memory (recalling recent events).

During the study, about 50 volunteers (aged 18-35) with different body mass indexes participated in memory tests. The results showed that people with higher BMIs scored worse on episodic memory tests.

According to scientists, being overweight or obese may cause temporary changes in the structure and function of the brain. Previous studies on Alzheimer's disease have also shown that obesity causes the area "recalling cognitive and emotional memories (hippocampus) in the temporal lobe to shrink. This is the area most damaged in Alzheimer's dementia. If the hippocampus continues to atrophy, it will cause diseases such as emotional disorders and memory loss.

According to scientists, the feeling of "fullness" or "hunger" is often caused by the balance of hormones in the body and brain, but in reality there are also psychological factors that affect eating habits.

Dr. Lucia Cheke warns that if we only eat instinctively without adjusting our behavior, the risk of becoming overweight or obese is very high, especially in an era where people tend to consume industrial foods.

“The worrying thing is that we don’t calculate the amount of food we consume. Foods high in fat, fast food, frozen food, instant food... are the number one enemies of our body weight. These foods lack protein but have a lot of calories, making it easy to gain weight. The bad thing is that these foods are very delicious and addictive. Sometimes we can’t control ourselves from eating them while watching TV or working,” said Dr. Cheke.

Worryingly, people with dementia also have a reduced ability to use working memory to regulate their eating behavior. In other words, being overweight can make it much harder to keep track of what and how much food you eat. This can lead to overeating.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that up to 35% of the US population is obese and nearly 80% of them suffer from health problems caused by being overweight and obese./.

According to VOV