Scientists from the Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and Northwestern Memorial Hospital in Illinois have just released findings from their recent study regarding the correlation between memory and weight in older women. According to the study, the more an older woman weighs, the worse her memory was found to be. Additionally the scientists concluded that the effect is greater in those women who carry extra weight around their hips, and have a pear shaped body. As compared to those women who carry excess weight around their waists and have an apple shaped body. There were over 8,500 cognitively normal, post-menopausal women ages 65 to 79 in the study that links obesity to poorer memory and brain function. The research data indicates that a one point increase in the Body Mass Index (BMI), resulted in an equal one point drop in their memory score test called the Modified Mini-Mental Status Examination.
When looking deeper into the link between obesity to poorer memory and brain function, scientists found that apple-shaped women and pear-shaped women have different types of fat despots. These fat deposits in the body release different cytokines, which are the hormones that can cause inflammation and affect cognition. Excess amounts of cytokines can slowly deteriorate memory because the hormones cause inflammation and affect cognition. Regardless if you are a women with an apple or pear shape, issues with obesity are serious and should be treated properly early on in life so that you can reduce issues later on in life.
