subject: Large Waistline Linked To Brain Shrinkagestudy [print this page] Obesity is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, which is further linked to cognitive impairment, the study researchers said.
Hitherto studies have established that obese people are twice as likely to develop type 2 diabetes as those who keep themselves fit.
Study details and findings
In order to evaluate the impact of obesity on the physical structure of brain, lead researcher, Antonio Convit, Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Medicine, at the New York University School of Medicine, conducted a study.
For this purpose, Convit conducted MRI scan (magnetic resonance imaging) of brains of 44 obese individuals and 19 lean people of same age group and background.
It was found that obese people had more water in amygdala, the part of brain responsible for eating behavior, and smaller orbitofrontal cortices, part of brain involved in cognitive processing and decision making.
"It could mean that there are less neurons, or that those neurons are shrunken," New Scientist quoted Convit as saying.
Link between diabetes and cognitive disorders
It is known that insulin, which is responsible for regulating carbohydrate and fat metabolism in body, also controls brain's supply of dopamine, a neurotransmitter required for attention, reward, and motor activity.
Lack of insulin causes disruptions in the dopamine activity which further results in brain disorders such as depression, Parkinson's disease, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder.
The present study findings reiterate the emerging view that changing ones lifestyle, and particularly engaging in regular physical excercise, is probably the most effective way of reducing the risk of brain disorders in later life.
