Being overweight can dampen your
memory!
London: A new research
suggests that young adults who are overweight may have poorer memory than their
peers. The research from Cambridge University adds to the increasing evidence
of a link between obesity and memory.
The study, published in
The Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology, found a link between high
body mass index (BMI) and poorer performance on a test of 'episodic memory' -
the ability to recall past experiences.
However, researchers found that other aspects of memory -
such as general knowledge - were unaffected. 50 individuals aged 18-35
participated in a memory test with BMIs ranging from 18 through to 51. A BMI of
18-25 is considered healthy, 25-30 overweight, and over 30 obese.
Participants were asked
to hide items around complex scenes (for example, a desert with palm trees)
across two ‘days’. They were then asked to remember which items they had
hidden, where they had hidden them, and when they were hidden. Researchers
found that obese people score 15% lower than thinner people. Overall, the team
found an association between higher BMI and poorer performance on the tasks.
According to the researchers,
the results could suggest that the structural and functional changes in the
brain previously found in those with higher BMI may be accompanied by a reduced
ability to form and/or retrieve episodic memories. As the effect was shown in
young adults, it adds to growing evidence that the cognitive impairments that
accompany obesity may be present early in adult life. “We're not saying that
overweight people are necessarily more forgetful," said Dr Lucy Cheke,
from the University of Cambridge.
“But if these results
are generalizable to memory in everyday life, then it could be that overweight
people are less able to vividly relive details of past events – such as their
past meals. Research on the role of memory in eating suggests that this might
impair their ability to use memory to help regulate consumption.” “In other
words, it is possible that becoming overweight may make it harder to keep track
of what and how much you have eaten, potentially making you more likely to
overeat,” Dr Cheke added.
Source: www.zeenews.india.com
29.02.2016
Failing to
prepare is like preparing to fail
John
R. Wooden
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