Obesity: An Even Bigger Issue Than You Think

By Aaron Fang

When someone mentions obesity, we tend to think of it as a digestive disease that directly

affects our metabolism, but in reality, it does something bigger. Obesity may actually influence cognitive function, which may or may not be news to you. This information is pretty unsettling, given that it doesn’t just affect the body but could also change the brain.

Complexity of the Potential Associations with Cognitive Decline

The correlation between obesity and cognitive decline is quite complex. It is mostly known that obesity is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and overall mortality. Based on some recent meta-analyses, it has been suggested that there is a greater decline in global cognition and executive function in those who are obese compared to those who are of normal weight. This means that the cardiometabolic issues caused by obesity (hypertension and diabetes) may produce a lower baseline cognitive performance, but not necessarily a source of faster decline. From this particular study, however, there is no direct causation between the two.

What should be taken away from this is that there is a soft link between obesity and cognitive

impairment because other factors, like aging, can play a role as well.

What Else Could Explain the Connection?

Most of the recent studies on this correlation involved midlife/older adults, which is why aging

could affect obesity-related cognitive impairment. It seems that obesity in midlife is a bigger risk factor for dementia compared to those who are in older adulthood. While these statements do not prove direct causation, they may explain differences in body composition (loss of muscle mass and skeletal muscle involvement in insulin resistance) and brain structure. It appears that there is a decrease in brain and gray matter volume when BMI is high. In addition, tissues in other areas, such as the temporal, frontal, and midbrain, may all be reduced.

These abnormalities are just another issue that adds to the known effects of obesity, which reduce our quality of life. The need to understand these consequences can help prevent long-term cognitive decline.

A Strategy to Tackle This Issue

Lifestyle modifications are the most likely alternative that can reduce the risk of cognitive

impairment. This entails more dietary interventions, exercise, and metabolic regulation can help reduce inflammation and insulin resistance, which are both linked to cognitive decline. With the brief mention of these strategies, you can potentially get a jump into helping yourself in the long-term.