Obese People Have Severe Brain Degeneration

A new study finds obese people have 8 percent less brain tissue than normal-weight individuals. The results were based on 94 brain scans from people in their 70's, said Paul Thompson, senior author of the study and a UCLA professor of neurology.

"That's a big loss of tissue and it depletes your cognitive reserves, putting you at much greater risk of Alzheimer's and other diseases that attack the brain," said Thompson. "But you can greatly reduce your risk for Alzheimer's, if you can eat healthily and keep your weight under control."

Obesity packs many health risks including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, some cancers and reduces sexual activity. More than 300 million people worldwide are classified as obese, according to the World Health Organization.

Their brains had lost tissue in the frontal and temporal lobes. "The brains of obese people looked 16 years older than the brains of those who were lean, and in overweight people looked 8 years older," Thompson said.

The research was funded by National Institute on Aging, National Institute of Biochemical Imaging and Bioengineering, National Center for Research Resources and the American Heart Association.

This is interesting to me but I have a hard time believing it. Most people with Alzheimer's seem to be thin. My mom is obese and her brain is very clear. She can remember my history better than me.