How Obesity Affects The Mental Skills of the Elderly
Obesity is a slow and long-term killer. It is one of the most hazardous factors affecting our body. For decades, we have seen and heard of the effects of obesity on individuals of different age groups. The symptoms of obesity can be directly and visibly observed; and therefore it takes a toll on self-confidence, as well as the psychological health of individuals. But did you know that obesity also has major adverse effects on the mental skills of senior citizens? Obesity has been shown to cause reduced mental capability in senior citizens. Obesity slowly diminishes the cognitive abilities and memory of an individual. Although the symptoms are not very prominent in the brain and associated structures, various studies have revealed that obesity does indeed impact the mental skills of the elderly. One of the latest studies has shown that individuals who are excessively obese, perform poorly on cognitive tests than their healthy counterparts. But once they underwent weight loss surgeries and lost a substantial amount of weight, they were able to perform much better on the same cognitive tests. One of the significant ways in which obesity affects memory and cognitive skills in seniors is that it leads to changes in the brain of the senior citizens who are obese.