A recent study conducted at Umeå University in Sweden found that losing weight not only improves your health, but can also significantly improve memory quality. A link between obesity and poor episodic memory has previously been found, but a new study confirms that the link is reversible.
The experiment involved 20 overweight, postmenopausal women who followed a healthy diet for 6 months. Before and after the experiment, participants had their body mass index (BMI) measured and memory function tested. As a result of the experiment, the average BMI of the participants decreased from 32.1 to 29.2. In addition, brain scans and tests showed that there was increased activity in areas of the brain responsible for remembering and recognizing faces, as well as those associated with the retrieval of episodic memories.
The study found that obesity-related memory impairment is reversible. These results are of significant interest to the scientific community and society as a whole, as they not only confirm the link between weight and memory, but also demonstrate the possibility of significant improvements in memory quality with weight loss.
Dr. Andreas Peterson, one of the study's authors, said these results demonstrate that taking care of your health and losing weight can lead to significant improvements in quality of life, including improved memory and cognitive function.