A high body mass index is associated with smaller brain volume and more damage to central nervous system tissues.
- A high body mass index is detrimental to mental health.
- It is associated with smaller brain volume, white matter damage, and defects in microstructural integrity.
- It is recommended to maintain a BMI below 26.2 kg/m² to limit deterioration in brain health.
Weight may impact brain health, according to a study published in Health Data Science, a high body mass index is correlated with poor brain health. It is defined as the preservation of cerebral integrity, mental and cognitive function and the absence of overt neurological disorders. As for body mass index, it is calculated by dividing weight by height squared. When the figure obtained is greater than 25, it is overweight, and obesity beyond 30.
What are the links between BMI and brain health?
The research team from Beigjing Friendship Hospital, in China, relied on medical data and brain imaging from more than 1,000 people, aged 25 to 83 and followed for more than 16 years. Using modeling techniques, they were able to analyze the link between BMI and brain health. Scientists found that a higher BMI was linked to smaller brain volume, particularly in adults under 45 and those over 60. They also noticed more white matter damage, some central nervous system tissue, and defects in microstructural integrity. “A high cumulative BMI is detrimental to brain health, particularly in young adults under 45, where it corresponds to approximately 12 years of brain aging, Professor Han Lv commented. Maintaining a BMI below 26.2 kg/m² is recommended to ensure better brain health.”
Better prevention of overweight and obesity for improved brain health
As a preamble to their work, the authors recall that the “The burden of overweight and obesity has increased significantly over the past two decades.. This assertion is confirmed by data from theWorld Health Organization : “From 1990 to 2022, the percentage of obese children and adolescents aged 5-19 increased fourfold, from 2% to 8% globally, while the percentage of obese adults (aged 18 and over) more than doubled, from 7% to 16%.she announced. Faced with these figures, Chinese scientists believe that their analysis provides “crucial information on the relationship between BMI and brain health”. For them, this underlines “the need for public health strategies” For “control BMI in order to obtain better neurological results”.
