“As many suffer from too much as too little. A fat body makes a lean mind.” ~Christian Nestell Bovee
If you’ve even noticed how the extra fat you’ve put on may have left your thinking ability a little sluggish, there seems to a reason for it. In recent years more and more research has shown that obesity leads to the shrinking of the brain. In particular these areas: The frontal temporal lobes where you’d find reasoning and judgment, the anterior cingulate gyrus where decision-making as well as attention occurs, the hippocampus where learning and memory is instituted as well as serotonin is produced, and the basal ganglia where the ability to move smoothly is initiated. That’s quite a bit.
The hippocampus in particular, when it becomes smaller, also leads to a number of other issues, including some mental disorders as well as depression. The hippocampus is also used as feedback regulator for the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis. In this case it has to with the mediation of corticosteroid (cortisol) in helping to create homeostasis due to distress. We sure don’t want a smaller hippocampus.
Obese people tend to do worse on brain tasks, such as memory and abstract thinking. When researchers looked into the famous Framington Heart study (which took place over 60 years so far), they discovered that those that suffered from chronic disease due to obesity were likely to have an increase of dementia, such as Alzheimer’s disease. Dr. Lori Shemek coined the term “FatFlammation” in helping describe the cluster of diseases that come from obesity and in particular the belly fat.
In a December 2012 research report by K. Mueller, et al of the Max Planck Institute, it was discovered that their seems to be correlation between obesity and neuronal injury. And there was a definite showing of the decrease of gray matter. In essence, this means that the brain cells of fat people are being damaged (probably from the FatFlammation response) as well as brain shrinkage.
Let me put all of this in more simplistic terms. If you are obese, you have a much larger chance of dumbing down your brain. While I know of many obese people who are brilliant and fit people who are not, what all of the various research has shown is that being fitter will help increase the intelligence of everyone. And for that are obese, it’s not too late either. Exercising helps to increase the size of the hippocampus. Eliminate processed foods and sugars to further help your cause of thinking better.
It’s all about living a healthy lifestyle your whole life and if you haven’t, you can still make a difference starting today. Now, eliminate FatFlammation with fitness and a healthy diet. And when you do, you’ll start to help your body and your brain.
Cheers,
Bob
America’s #1 Mind-Body Transformation Expert and author of Mind Your Own Fitness
