Is There a Link Between Weight and Memory? - Merit Educational Consultants

Is There a Link Between Weight and Memory?

I just read an interesting study about how obesity is linked to memory loss (University of Cambridge). While the verdict is still out, they’ve found that there is a clear relationship between your Body Mass Index (BMI) and apparent memory deficits.  In other words, the larger your waistline, the smaller your hippocampus (responsible for learning and memory in the brain).

Another study found that people who focused on what they ate during a meal would eat nearly one-third less than those who were distracted by listening to an audio book (University of Liverpool). So these researchers have developed a smartphone app that encourages people to eat more attentively.  Apparently, people who take photos of what they’re eating and answer questions about their meals create vivid memories, which makes them less likely to overeat throughout the day. Hmm. So all those people who post photos of their food on FB were really engaging with their food and losing weight? Guess I should start posting my meals on FB!

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