Brain scans show patterns of gray matter reduction in regions involved in learning, memory and decision-making. Experts hope, however, that weight loss can reverse the damage.
Being overweight in middle age has been linked to a higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease or dementia, among other diseases like cancer and diabetes, but a new study shows that brain changes in obese people reflect the same changes as some of the most obese people. with dementia suffer.
Scientists at McGill University in Montreal analyzed brain scans of more than 1,300 people in what is the first investigation that directly compares the patterns of gray matter reduction in obese people and in Alzheimer’s patients.
Medical imaging tests revealed a similar cerebral narrowing – decrease in the number of brain cells – in regions involved in learning, memory and decision-making in both groups, according to the report published this Tuesday in the Journal of Alzheimer’s Disease.
“We have shown that there is a similarity between the brains of obese people and those with Alzheimer’s,” commented the study’s first author, Filip Morys, a postdoctoral researcher in neuroscience at McGill University. “It all comes down to the thickness of the cerebral cortex,” he added.
Obesity associated with damage to the body
Previous studies have already shown that obesity can cause changes in the body associated with an increased risk of Alzheimer’s, including damage to blood vessels in the brain and accumulation of abnormal proteins that are harmful to the normal functioning of the body.
On the other hand, conditions common in obesity – such as hypertension, diabetes and hypercholesterolemia – have been linked by scientific research to harmful brain changes.
McGill University researchers suspect, however, that obese people, and possibly those who are overweight – a body mass index (BMI) of 25 to 25.9 – may delay cognitive decline if they manage to achieve a healthy weight. .
See also: 25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
The latest survey on food and physical activity indicates that most Portuguese people are overweight. Discover tips and strategies (that haven’t crossed your mind yet) to lose weight quickly.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Help yourself from the stove – Avoid taking pots and pans to the table. Serve your dish directly from the stove. According to Brian Wansink, director of the Food and Brand Lab at Cornell University, doing so can prevent you from eating 61% more than you want.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Avoid Ads – Change the channel. A University of California study found that images and footage of food stimulated the brain’s appetite and provoked hunger.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
High-calorie breakfast – A 2012 study by Tel Aviv University found that those who introduced a cake or other sweet treat for breakfast managed to lose more weight than those who ate the same calories but avoided carbohydrates.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Buy sweets and chocolates you don’t like – Whenever you have to buy candy for your children, nephews or cousins, choose the ones you hate the most. It will help you avoid sharing this calorie bomb.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Hide the chocolate – Move it out of sight. Several studies have already shown that cocoa can be addictive. And although it also has properties that help to lose weight, when eaten in excess it has the reverse effect. If it’s out of sight, you’ll eat 61% less, concluded research from Cornell University’s Food and Brand Lab.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Clench your fists – Clench your fists when you have food cravings. A series of studies published in the Journal of Consumer Research in 2011 found that people were better able to control their impulses when they squeezed a muscle for at least 30 seconds.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Tell your friends – By doing so, you will feel obliged to fulfill what you promised.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Imagine yourself more elegant – The mind has incalculable power. Studies have shown that the more you think about and idealize something, the more easily you achieve those goals. So I think about what it would be like with 5 kilos less, if you really need to lose that weight.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Set a measure – If you really want to lose weight, set goals. Establish in your head the dress or pants size you want to have and fight for that size.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Eat slowly or use your non-dominant hand – Studies have shown that eating slowly promotes the feeling of fullness faster, without leaving you feeling bloated. Eat, therefore, with chopsticks or with your non-dominant hand to re-educate your eating habits.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Eat a slice of cold turkey – After a sweet treat, have a slice of cold turkey. It will end your desire to continue eating sweets. Why? Because it cuts the savory effect of sweets in the mouth. If you eat them again, you may feel nauseous, concluded a study by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, in the United States.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Opt for small plates – If you serve your meal on a giant plate, your brain will think you ate less and this can cause the feeling of hunger and insatiation. Rather serve yourself on small plates. Gradually you will end up finding the size of your normal plate.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Do not peel the fruit – It is in the peel that most of the vitamin and nutritional part of the fruit is. And it is these vitamins that will transmit the feeling of satiety to the brain. If you remove the skin, you’ll only eat the unhealthy sugars, concluded a University of Iowa study published in the journal PLoS ONE in 2012.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Choose variety or not – If you buy a bunch of sweets, you’ll want to try a little bit of each one. Therefore, if you want to buy something caloric, buy only one species. With vegetables, do the opposite. The variety whets the appetite, concluded another study by the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, a North American organization.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Soup – Opt for a bowl of vegetable soup before lunch. You’ll end up eating 20 percent fewer calories in a meal, suggests a University of Pennsylvania study.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Swap butter for olive oil – Can’t avoid the bread basket at mealtime? Then follow this trick: use olive oil instead of butter. You’ll eat 23% less bread and take in 16% fewer calories, according to a 2003 study published in the International Journal of Obesity.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Don’t go overboard on healthy products – We all know that almond or soy butter is healthier than cow’s butter or red meat. But thinking about it can lead you to overeat. So be reasonable even when you’ve chosen the right foods.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Set small goals – Instead of wanting to lose 20 kilos, want to lose one kilo 20 times. Mentally it will help you to actually lose weight, because you will feel fulfilled every time you reach your goal. Deep down, losing weight will be easier. The reward is achieved in shorter periods of time, so you feel compelled to continue your battle with excess weight.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Eat fiber and protein with meals – They help keep your sugar levels balanced, preventing you from giving in to temptations, suggests the book Miracle Carb Diet.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Exercise in the morning – A 2012 Brigham Young University study found that 45 minutes of moderate exercise in the morning reduces appetite throughout the day.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Choose happy music – Research has shown that a happy playlist on your music player will help increase your exercise pace. So choose songs with more than 180 beats per minute.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Distract yourself – The urge to overeat disappears in 10 minutes if you choose to do something other than thinking about food. Distract yourself by calling a friend, walking, meditating or having sex.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Opt for what grows in the wild – Eat at least 80% of what grows in the wild and 20% less of what walks. In short, cut the meat.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Use vinegar – Vinegar is slimming because it contains acetic acid that decreases appetite, accelerates metabolism and prevents insulin spikes in the blood. In addition to burning fat, it helps you feel full sooner.
25 unimaginable weight loss tricks
Eat and Breathe – Inhale through your nose to the count of four, hold for seven seconds, then exhale through your mouth for eight seconds. Do it four times. Calms you down and lessens nerve impulses at meals.
