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French Researchers Say Obesity Is Linked To Intelligence Lost

Researchers at the Toulouse University Hospital conducted an interesting and unique study revealing that fat cells negatively affect intelligence.

The French researchers are claiming that obesity is linked to serious damage of brain cells.

Experts examined nearly 2,200 healthy adults aged 32 to 62. Participants at the study were monitored for half a decade, starting 1996. All participants were asked to solve IQ tests regularly so that experts determine their cognitive abilities.

Figures revealed that those with a normal Body Mass Index (BMI), which is less than twenty-five scored higher at the IQ tests as compared to those with a BMI of thirty or more.

Moreover, it was revealed that those having a higher BMI than normal were less successful at the vocabulary tests than those having no weight problems. People with a BMI of 20 or less remembered on average 52 percent of the words in the vocabulary test, while those with a BMI of 30 or more remembered only 44 percent of the words.

Dr Maxime Cournot, the lead researchers explained that obesity is linked to intelligence lost as the fat cells secrete hormones that present a risk to the nervous cells.

"Another explanation could be that since obesity is a widely known cardiovascular risk factor, due to the thickening and hardening of the blood vessels, that the same happens with the arteries in the brain," added Dr Maxime Cournot in the attempt of explaining why being fat is bad for intelligence.

Scientists named the action fat cells have on the cerebral cells "Homer Simpson effect".

The findings were published in this month's edition of Neurology journal.