Is Obesity Ageing Your Brain?
We already know that obesity is damaging to the heart, joints, knees, hips, livers and a risk factor for many diseases. It was a matter of time before we learned its impact on the brain.
Scientists found that the shrinkage of the brain is much more prevalent in overweight people from middle-age onward. The brains of overweight middle-aged people resemble brains that are a decade older in healthier people.
Can obesity increase the risk of cognitive problems as we grow older?
Throughout our lives, obesity seems to be associated with decreases in:
- Our ability to focus/pay attention;
- The speed with which our brain can send messages to achieve small movements of our hands, wrists, fingers, feet, toes, lips, and tongue;
- How quickly we can carry out a simple or automatic mental task.
This is what researchers describe as a decrease in attention, fine motor speed, and processing speed.
Obesity also seems to be associated with some reduction in executive function as we get older. This is a set of mental skills that help us get things done. For example, executive function helps us manage our time, plan and organize, remember details and change our focus.
What can you do to avoid obesity or lose weight if you are obese?
The weight-loss surgery is the first step to fight against obesity. Bariatric surgery can help you lose much weight in a positive way and has many important benefits.
At Mohak Bariatrics & Robotics Centre, we ensure successful weight-loss journey for our patients with bariatric surgery. By having regular before and after surgery appointments we take the apprehensions and guesswork out of our patients lives so that they could focus on keeping their brain healthy and slow the pace of cognitive decline.