Obesity is already known to cause a litany of health issues, but a recent study indicates that obese adults also experience memory loss, according to a Tech Times report. The conclusion follows up a series of other studies associating obesity with reduced cognitive functions. Memory loss in patients could also motivate them to consume additional calories leading to excess weight gain researchers suggest because memories aren’t being processed correctly.
“Increasingly, we’re beginning to see that memory — especially episodic memory, the kind where you mentally relive a past event — is also important. How vividly we remember a recent meal, for example today’s lunch, can make a difference to how hungry we feel and how much we are likely to reach out for that tasty chocolate bar later on,” said Lucy Cheke of the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
Former studies have confirmed the negative effects of obesity on cognitive performance, specifically, on the hippocampus, which controls the automatic nervous system and emotional functioning, and acts as a database for memories. The most recent study analyzed a small population of 50 individuals between 18 and 25 years old. The body-mass index (BMI) of the test subjects ranged from 18 (on the healthier side of the spectrum) to grossly obese. Participants engaged in a treasure hunt where they had to hide objects within a detailed landscape. Shortly after, researchers asked where the members placed the items. Those with higher BMIs had poorer memory peformance.
Yet analysts counter that the findings do not confirm that obese people are more forgetful than the general population who aren’t as obese. Because of the small sample size, scientists are intent on expanding their experiments to find more links between obsesity and memory functioning.