Obesity and a high fat diet may speed up brain aging

New research presented at the American Psychology Summit indicates that obesity may accelerate brain aging and lead to cognitive decline.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), 16% of people around the world are living with obesity. Of particular concern is the increasing rates among young people – the WHO reported that 160 million children and adolescents around the world were living with obesity in 2022.

A ‘ticking timebomb’, extensive research has already identified obesity increases the risk of many health conditions such as type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, musculoskeletal disorders like osteoarthritis and some cancers.

This new study set out to investigate how obesity and a high fat diet affected the brain blood vessels in mice and the resulting effect on cognitive function.

Researchers found that obesity and unhealthy dietary habits contribute to the accumulation of damage in blood vessels, which diminishes oxygen delivery to specific brain regions and may culminate in cognitive deterioration.

Researchers agreed that while more clinical research is needed, the findings support previous research suggesting weight and nutrition directly affects brain health and maintaining a healthy weight through proper diet and exercise is key to preserve vascular health and cognitive function as we age.