Scientists revealed the impact of excess weight on the brain

An international team of scientists led by Jody Painter has made an important discovery: a high body mass index can directly cause thinning of the cerebral cortex, rather than being merely an accompanying factor. The results have been published in the journal Molecular Psychiatry.

The fact that excess body weight is associated with structural changes in the brain has been known to science for a long time. However, the key question — what exactly is the cause and what is the consequence — had remained unanswered until now. This puzzle was resolved thanks to the method of Mendelian randomization, which identifies causal relationships through the analysis of genetic differences inherited from parents.

"The body mass index data were taken from genome-wide association studies that combined information on 681,275 people of European descent. The data on cortical thickness were obtained from the work of a large international neuroimaging consortium that studied up to 23,183 individuals," the report states.

The results proved alarming: elevated BMI leads to a reduction in the average thickness of the cerebral cortex. The areas responsible for motor functions and visual recognition are particularly affected.

In addition, visceral fat and elevated levels of C-reactive protein — a recognized marker of chronic inflammation in the body — also have a negative impact on the brain.

The authors of the study emphasized that the data obtained indicate: "excess weight can directly lead to structural changes in the brain and increase the risk of neuropsychiatric diseases."