Can Excessive Weight Cause Alzheimer’s Disease?

Scientists at McGill University have discovered a mechanism in which excess weight can lead to neurodegeneration that causes cognitive decline. This means taking steps towards losing weight and maintaining healthy body composition might help protect against dementia as we age.

In recent decades, obesity rates worldwide have greatly increased. This drew the interest of researchers to understand the neural mechanisms underpinning obesity. It's no secret that being obese puts one at risk of many health concerns, but new research has revealed it could even be associated with Alzheimer’s. A number of neuroimaging studies pointed to possible reductions in the density of gray matter in certain regions of the brain of obese people.

Excessive fat accumulation in the body represents the conditions known as overweight and obesity. These two conditions differ in the amount of accumulated excessive fat and are usually defined using a body mass index. Body mass index (BMI) is obtained by dividing a person’s weight in kilograms by the square of the person’s height in meters (kg/m²). BMI values of 25 to 30 indicate that a person is overweight, while BMI values of 30 and above classify a person as obese.

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Researchers at McGill University's Neuro Center recently conducted groundbreaking research that uncovers obesity’s impact on our brains. Most people know now that obesity is more than a number on the scale and can have massive consequences on the entire body, but rarely have people considered the effects of obesity on the brain or have correlated a direct link to the increasing number of Alzheimer's and dementia cases.

It appears the relationship between obesity and cognitive function is rooted deeply, including increased inflammation, hormonal regulation, glucose metabolism, and insulin resistance. These are all part of inflammation, which contributes to the deterioration of brain functions and cells.

Researchers said this study was prompted by a previous study in which they saw that obesity-related neurodegeneration patterns were visually similar to the ones in Alzheimer’s disease. In the study, they found brain matter atrophy and brain cell loss in both obesity and Alzheimer’s patients.

By making small but important lifestyle adjustments, like exercising more, removing processed foods from our diet, and reducing stress levels, we can positively impact on our brain health. The key is to be aware of the detrimental effects these conditions can cause in regard to dementia—their prevalence underscores just how essential it is that we focus on implementing interventions that combat metabolic risk factors so as to reduce long-term damage.