Research provides insight on potential impact of obesity on the brain
by Chris Dodd | 08 Aug 2014
Obesity is a major problem throughout the developed world, not least in the US and Europe / Shutterstock.com/bikeriderlondon
Obesity could have an impact on how smart we are, after research conducted on mice showed how fat levels may potentially cloud cognitive processes.
In a study conducted at Georgia Regents University, experts monitored a group of obese mice that housed high levels of a chemical substance known as interleukin 1.
The substance is known to be created from fat cells and can lead to inflammation, which was the case when the researchers observed the brains of the mice, finding that the chemical had managed to seep into the hippocampus – an area in the brain which takes care of both learning capabilities and memory function.
The obese mice tested poorly during cognitive tests, with scientists presuming the levels of interleukin 1 and subsequent inflammation had impacted on the mice’s efficiency.
To back up their initial findings, the scientists decided to conduct a small liposuction procedure on the obese mice to remove fat, which led to the specimens performing a lot better on the same cognitive tests they had taken before the removal of the fat.
The results were solidified as the researchers then placed fat pads inside leaner mice, with the animals performing worse than they had done in their previous brain function tests.
The research also provided an insight towards what exercise can do for the function of the brain, with obese mice placed on a daily exercise regime.
They were then compared to a group of sedentary mice after three months, where results showed that despite remaining the same weight as those that didn't take part in exercise, the obese mice had gained lean muscle and lost fat, while they also began to outperform the non-active mice in cognitive tests.
Obviously, the research into the mice does not necessarily stand as evidence for how the human brain could react, but it does offer further weight to a growing and predominantly accepted argument that exercise can help to improve brain function and general health too.
A number of other findings recently have shown the potential benefits of exercise and physical fitness both on children and adults.
One study has shown that physical condition could have an impact on the academic performance of young people, while another has suggested that exercise should be prescribed to improve the health of older women.
Meanwhile, in a study soon to be published in the September 2014 issue of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Hygiene, obesity has been shown to have a detrimental impact on the endurance of workers when performing many workplace tasks, for example in factory or industrial settings.
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Obesity could have an impact on how smart we are, after research conducted on mice showed how fat levels may potentially cloud cognitive processes. In a study conducted at Georgia Regents University, experts monitored a group of obese mice that housed high levels of a chemical substance known as interleukin 1. The substance is known to be created from fat cells and can lead to inflammation, which was the case
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