NEW STUDY: Fat Makes You Stupid?

Boost your brainpower by shrinking your waistline: A Kent State University study finds that for obese people, losing weight improves brain function and memory.

The ongoing study followed more than 100 obese patients before and after bariatric surgery. Researchers asked the subjects to remember words from a list read aloud to them, which tested the participants real-world ability to learn new information.

Before the surgery, most subjects showed below-average memory skills. But 12 weeks after surgery, the group’s collective BMI had dropped around 6 points—and their memory test scores had improved to within the average range for all adults.

More research is needed to uncover the actual mechanisms connecting obesity to brain function, but previous studies on obesity-related diseases give researchers a solid starting point.

“Scientists have known for some time that medical conditions like hypertension and type 2 diabetes can directly damage the brain, including brain atrophy (shrinkage), causing tiny strokes throughout the brain, and altering blood flow patterns within the brain,” says researcher John Gunstad, Ph.D, of Kent State University. “This damage is often found in brain regions important for memory, including processing new information and then being able to retrieve it later.” Weight loss improves these conditions, which, presumably, improves memory, says Gunstad.

But you don’t have to have expensive, dangerous surgery to see the results: Obese patients who lose weight through diet and exercise should also see memory improvement, Gunstad says. “We know that better diet is associated with better mental performance,” says Gunstad. “We also know that becoming more cardiovascular fit is associated with better performance. So if you’re eating better, exercising more, and actually losing weight—those are three factors that have all gotten better, and memory is likely also to get better.” (Related from MensHealth.com: 20 Reasons to Drop 20 Pounds.)

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