Memory is affected by weight gain, according to fascinating research that might just provide us with yet another reason to pay closer to what we eat, our activity levels, and even the amount of sleep were getting at night.
Is Your Memory Affected by Weight Gain?
Do you remember the last time you felt that you were in good shape? No? If you need motivation to up your game with it comes to overall fitness, then recent research might just have come up with an added reason. New studies are now suggesting that you may not recall those fitter times because memory is affected by weight gain. Of course, you might never have been an athletic person, so it could be that too, but what research is now showing is that when body fat starts to creep on above our healthiest size, it can impact our memories.
Putting on extra pounds may increase your body mass index, but it will ultimately decrease your ability to remember things correctly. In order for you to tell whether or not your recollections are tainted by excess weight, you will need to understand how the connection works.
Why Does Memory Loss Occur?
People forget things all the time. However, there is a big difference between simply forgetting something and not being able to retain the information at all. Memory loss happens when the brain becomes unable to recall data because precious brain cells are dying. Those who have put on a few extra pounds will most likely begin to see their memory affected by weight gain. Luckily, it is manageable and even reversible in some cases.
Are There Any Other Factors?
Memory loss can happen to anyone, but it most commonly affects people who deal with one or more of the following:
- Age
- Trauma
- Stress
- Lack of oxygen
- Weight gain
Interestingly, weight gain is one of the leading reasons why people suffer from memory loss. Talking to your doctor could help you to prevent that from happening to you.
How Are Memory Loss and Weight Gain Connected?
Studies are showing that memory affected by weight gain is a very real thing. When you put on excess weight, you cause your cholesterol levels to increase, which creates an unhealthy buildup in your arteries. Once those arteries become too clogged to let blood through, your brain and your memory begin to function poorly. When all is said and done, your body is not getting enough oxygen to maintain or produce brain cells, thereby making it difficult for you to remember things.
Other factors are also believed to be at play, though the research is ongoing. They are continuing to examine the ways bodies release hormones and cytokines for the regulation of a broad spectrum of bodily functions and how body fat has an impact on those processes. They have determined that memory can be affected by weight gain that occurs primarily around the belly more than is the case when it is stored around the hips.
By continuing to examine the impact of these various processes, the understanding of how memory is affected by weight gain will only improve.
What Can I Do?
Staying in close contact with a doctor or nutritionist is always a great idea when your weight in a concern. A professional can help you to avoid losing your mind by nipping the problem in the bud before it gets out of hand. Never try weight loss products or new workout routines without first checking with your healthcare provider. A memory affected by weight gain needs the keen attention of you and someone who knows how to prevent weight gain and subsequent memory loss from happening.