New study links obesity to memory loss

From cardiovascular disease to type 2 diabetes, the dangers of obesity are wide-ranging.

But new research suggests you now can add memory loss to the ill-effects of carrying extra pounds. Researchers at the University of Alabama studied the effects of obesity on mice over a four-part experiment, including the impact obesity has on cognitive function. The results, published in Scientific American, were based on a series of memory tasks for mice involving object recognition and location. The mice were split into two groups – healthy weight and overweight – and were tracked on their ability to recognise, retain information, and make decisions based on memory. Researchers found that compared to their healthy weight counterparts, overweight mice performed poorly on a spatial memory task - which relies on the brain's hippocampus. The hippocampus is a small organ and forms an important part of the limbic system, the region that regulates emotions. The hippocampus is associated mainly with memory - particularly long-term memory. The organ also plays an important role in spatial navigation. While critics have claimed the study needs more analysis, it's worth ticking this off with the list of other reasons to try keep a balanced weight.