Researchers warn in a new study that too much body fat of the white adipose tissue type could cause dementia and strokes in addition to obesity. Examining the gray matter of the brain in about 28,000 people, the world's first research showed that increased body fat gradually leads to increased atrophy of the gray matter in the brain and, consequently, higherRisk of worsening brain healthleads.
When too much body fat affects the brain
Gray matter is an essential part of the brain. This is responsible for execution control, muscular and sensory activity as well as learning, attention and memory. Obesity is a major problem worldwide, with the number of people affected having almost tripled since 1975. Data from the World Health Organization shows that more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight, of which 650 million are obese. More than 340 million children (5-19 years old) are overweight or obese, and 39 million children under the age of five also fall into this category. The results of this study should now contribute to the growing problems associated with overweight or obesity. In general, the three obesity subtypes have aCharacteristic of a higher body mass index, but each type varies in terms of excess body fat and visceral fat distribution. This leads to a different risk of cardiovascular disease.
The scientists observed that people with higher levels of white adipose tissue had less gray matter in the brain. This is particularly true for those with metabolically unfavorable and neutral obesity subtypes. In addition, the study results suggest that such people may have impaired brain function, which required further investigation. However, the study authors found no conclusive evidence linking any specific obesity subtype to dementia or stroke. Instead, the research shows the possible role of inflammation and metabolic abnormalities. These can lead to obesity and a reduction in gray matter volume. It found that gray matter decreased by 0.3 percent for every additional 1 kg/m 2 in middle to older age groups (37-73). This corresponds to an additional weight of 3 kg for people of average height (173 cm).This studysupports the need to consider the type of obesity when assessing the nature of the likely health effects.
