Junk food doesn't just make you fat, it also shrinks your brain, a new study has revealed

'Our findings underline the importance of addressing the global obesity epidemic'

While the nutritional value of junk food is fairly common knowledge, a new study has revealed that it doesn't just increase your weight; it also shrinks your brain. A study newly published in the Metabolic Brain Disease journal suggests that fatty food may be linked to a loss of cognitive ability. The scientific team in Australia began by allocating either a standard diet or a high-fat diet to groups of eight-week-old mice. Factors like food intake, body weight and sugar levels were recorded over a 30-week period at relevant intervals. The team found that the high-fat diet mice gained weight, developed insulin resistance and started behaving abnormally compared with the standard mice. [caption id="attachment_350216" align="alignnone" width="2048"]

Via Unsplash[/caption] The mice with decreased cognitive ability were also more likely to gain massive amounts of weight due to poor metabolism caused by brain changes. Associate Professor Larisa Bobrovskaya from the University of South Australia said: "Obesity and diabetes impair the central nervous system, exacerbating psychiatric disorders and cognitive decline. [caption id="attachment_350217" align="alignnone" width="2048"]

Via Unsplash[/caption] "We demonstrated this in our findings." She said they found that: "Obese individuals have about a 55 per cent increased risk of developing depression, and diabetes will double that risk," said associate professor "Our findings underline the importance of addressing the global obesity epidemic."