IS YOUR WEIGHT RUINING YOUR MEMORY?

We know that carrying too much weight is linked to the disruption of many healthy biological processes, leading to the development of serious conditions like type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. But now scientists are adding the process of creating memories to that list.

The risk of losing memory increases naturally with age, especially after the age of 65. It is estimated that dementia affects 1 in 14 people over 65 and 1 in 6 people over the age of 80. But new research is shedding some light on how living with a high Body Mass Index(BMI) may increase your chances of memory loss even more.

Over a 10-year span, scientists from Indiana University Center for Aging Research compared memory-training results of over 2,800 adults with an average age of 74. They found that memory training gave only one-third of the benefits to those suffering from obesity as it did to those of a healthy weight, supporting the idea that body mass index (BMI) impacts how older adults respond to memory training.

The researchers don’t know the exact reason why the participants suffering from obesity performed worse in memory training than their healthy-weight counterparts, but growing evidence suggests a link between obesity and brain function. This study is consistent with others showing a link between obesity and an increased risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease.

But just like the list of other medical conditions related to high BMIs, the good news is that memory and cognitive function can be improved through weight loss. Even better news is that memory issues can be prevented simply by achieving and maintaining a healthy weight earlier on in life.

So what are you waiting for? Call your medical provider to develop a weight loss strategy that works for you. Your older self will remember to thank you for it!