Weight ages the brain!
Weight gain does not only lead to health problems such as heart disease, hypertension and diabetes. Stating that weight gain also affects the shell layer of the brain and causes thinning in the layer, experts point out that thinning is more in overweight people. He emphasizes that overweight and obesity age the brain by about 10-20 years.
Üsküdar University NPISTANBUL Hospital Neurology Specialist Dr. Celal Şalçini said that overweight and obesity also negatively affect the brain and cause thinning in the brain's shell layer.
The brain's shell layer is thinning
Stating that studies conducted in the world between overweight and brain health reveal important data in this field, Dr. Celal Şalçini said, "As a result of a study published in June 2019 in the prestigious journal of the American Academy of Neurology, the relationship between excess weight in the 60s and thinning of the brain's shell layer was revealed. The cortex is an area on the surface of the brain that contains the bodies of brain cells called neurons. A decrease in the number of these cells results in thinning of this layer. As a result of thinning, the person's cognitive skills may slow down and progress to dementia."
Shell layer thinned more in overweight people
Stating that the study in question revealed that the thinning in the shell layer of the brain is more in overweight people, Dr. Celal Şalçini said, "In this study, brain MRIs were taken and brain measurements were made at the end of 6 years of normal weight, overweight and obese people in their 60s. It was found that the shell layer of the brain, which we call the cortex in overweight people, thinned by 0.098 mm compared to normal people and 0.207 mm in obese people."
It means 100 thousands of cell loss
Emphasizing that although this thinning may seem very small when measured in mm, it is very important for the brain, Dr. Celal Şalçini said, "Because this means the loss of 100 thousands of cells in this region. In addition, when each neuron connects with more than one neuron, the loss is more significant. Considering that the cerebral cortex thins by 0.01 mm and 0.10 mm in 10 years during the normal aging process, we can say that overweight and obesity age the brain by 10-20 years."
