7 replies to this topic

[Matt]

Better brain function for BMI 20 and underweight

Excess weight could be sabotaging your brain power, a new study shows.

Among the word-list learning tests, the delayed recall one was most associated with BMI, Cournot says. Those with in the lowest range of BMI (15-21.5) remembered nine of 16 words, while those in the highest BMI range (27.7-45) could remember just seven. The results were linear -- so as BMI went up, the number of words remembered declined.

Those who had a higher BMI in 1996 tended to have a higher decline in mental abilities in 2001, Cournot says. There was no association between changes in BMI from 1996 to 2001 and functioning, but the participants overall did do better on the second round of tests. Cournot says that might be due to familiarity with the tests.

http://www.cbsnews.c...tr=HOME_2076121

Edited by Matt, 12 October 2006 - 09:32 PM.

[Shepard]

Yon Cassius has a lean and hungry look,
He thinks too much; such men are dangerous.

[ajnast4r]

excess weight, or the dietary habbits that contribute to excess weight...

[xanadu]

How did underweight compare with normal weight? I clicked the link and got a "not found" error

[Matt]

Sorry... try that

http://www.cbsnews.c...tr=HOME_2076121

[tedsez]

I can't remember all those words because I'm busy thinking about dinner.

[kylyssa]

Is it a causal relationship though? Does the excess weight cause the memory issues or are people with memory issues (and thus possibly other brain issues) more prone to being overweight? They didn't have the overweight people lose the weight and then retest - why not?

[Shepard]

Is it a causal relationship though?  Does the excess weight cause the memory issues or are people with memory issues (and thus possibly other brain issues) more prone to being overweight? They didn't have the overweight people lose the weight and then retest - why not?

Just looking at physiological profiles, it wouldn't be a stretch to say that factors for both causes are the same.