We all know that obesity can lead to health problems and negatively affect your quality of life. A lot of these effects are things you can see and feel, like lack of energy, trouble sleeping, diseases like diabetes or high blood pressure…. the list goes on and on. But new research is finding even more "hidden" incentive to lose the weight and work to keep it off for good. Current research shows that if you're more than 100 pounds over your healthy weight, it can take as many as 10 years off of your life. A study published in the journal Lancet found that "above a healthy weight, every 5-point increase in BMI increases the risk of early death by about 30%." Now a new study in the journal Human Brain Mapping examined the brains of obese people and found they look 16 years older than the brains of those who are normal-weight. The study scanned the brains of 94 people in their 70's. The obese people had 8 percent less brain tissue and overweight people had 4 percent less, compared to normal-weight individuals. What kind of effect does less brain tissue have on the body? It puts someone at a greater risk for Alzheimer's and other diseases that affect the brain, depleting cognitive reserves. Although this was a small study, the findings are significant. What do you think? Are you surprised by these findings? Why or why not? |
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