Brain Fitness NewsIncreased Body Fat Bad For Mental Performance In Older Men!
A recent University of California-San Francisco study shows that males over 70 who are overweight experience a sharper decline in brain function over time than men who are more fit, and in comparison to women of similar age who are comparatively overweight. Further, researchers report that they found no connection between increased body fat and declining mental function in women.
The study included 3,054 women and men, ages 70 to 79, and in generally good physical as well as mental health. Over an eight year period, the research team conducted cognitive evaluations of participants whose body fat had originally been measured using several advanced techniques.
Findings indicate that males possessing higher ratios of body fat demonstrated the largest mental performance deficits, while women showed no notable decreases in mental ability. Influential factors including physiological locations of body fat deposits, types of body fat measurements, and prior existing conditions were accounted for in the study.
Results obtained support previous studies that link obesity to dementia as highlight the benefits shown by many contemporary findings that a nutritious diet, regular physical, an active lifestyle, and a habit of mental training to boost one's Cognitive Reserve in preparation for advancing years contribute to longer-term brain health.
Current and future studies will no doubt shed more light on any lack of evidence relating obesity in women to longer-term mental decline. This study did not investigate whether women have overall better cognitive performance with advancing age than men.
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