http://www.dailytelegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2003/03/02/wfat0 2.xml&sSheet=/news/2003/03/02/ixworld.html
Being fat makes you more stupid - but only if you're a man By Robert Matthews, Science Correspondent (Filed: 02/03/2003) Being overweight is not only bad for men's hearts - it also makes them less intelligent, according to scientists. The first study of the mental abilities of obese people has revealed that being seriously overweight reduces intelligence in males, possibly through its effect on blood circulation around the brain. The finding comes as obesity rates grow ever greater in Britain, with one in six adults now classified as obese, along with more than a million children under the age of 16. The links between obesity and conditions such as high blood pressure - known to increase the risk of poor blood circulation and diseases such as strokes - have long been recognised. Now researchers in America have shown that obesity by itself is able to cause a significant decline in mental ability. The finding has emerged from the renowned Framingham Heart Study, begun in 1950 and involving thousands of people from Framingham in Massachusetts, who undergo regular health and mental checks every two years. By studying the records of more than 1,400 men and women in the study, Professor Merrill Elias and colleagues at the University of Boston found that men classified as clinically obese appear to have significantly reduced mental agility. Curiously, fat women did not suffer the same fall in intelligence. "Body mass index" is calculated by dividing a person's weight in pounds by the square of their height in inches, and multiplying the result by 700. When given a battery of cognitive function tests involving logic, verbal fluency and recall, men with a BMI of more than 30 - equivalent to a 5ft 8in person weighing over 14 stone - achieved scores as much as 23 per cent below those of non-obese men, even after taking into account factors such as educational level, occupation and blood pressure. "People used to dismiss obesity as an independent risk factor with cognitive function, saying that if you took into account other factors like high blood pressure you wouldn't see the link," Prof Elias told The Telegraph. "We have taken them into account - and we still see the link." The team did not find any such link among obese women in the study. "This might be due to the different way fat is distributed around men and women," said Prof Elias. "Fat around the waist is known to be more lethal." Excess fat may affect blood circulation in the brain, increasing the risk of mini-strokes and haemorrhages that could cause a decline in mental functioning. "What we're seeing in this study is fairly modest declines - though on a population level they add up to a substantial loss in cognitive function," Prof Elias said. "The really frightening thing is the implication for obese children." The results of the study, published in the latest issue of the International Journal of Obesity, add to the evidence of serious health effects from obesity. "This shows the importance of keeping a watch on your weight," said Dr Brigid McKevith of the British Nutrition Foundation. According to Prof Elias, studies suggest that shedding a few stone will halt further mental decline but not restore lost brainpower. "What we have found is that these results are very effective in motivating people to do something about their weight," he said. "People in the professions are very concerned about the effect on their ability to perform at work." _______________________________________________ http://www.mccmedia.com/mailman/listinfo/brin-l
