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Surprising Science

Fat Hurts the Brain

Several studies have concluded that obesity accelerates the process of dementia. People who are overweight in their 40s are more likely to show a rapid, pronounced decline in brain function in their 70s.
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Several studies have concluded that obesity accelerates the process of dementia. People who are overweight in their 40s are more likely to show a rapid, pronounced decline in brain function in their 70s. And even among young people, the overweight tend to have significantly lower gray-matter densities in several brain regions, including those involved with perception and taste. Obese people have also been found to have smaller, more atrophied brains.

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