Less grey matter linked to thicker waists

Being thick around the middle could be indicative of a shrunken brain, research suggests.

The discovery points to a link between excess body fat and impaired mental ability or dementia.

Scientists looked at a total of 9,652 people with an average age of 55.

Of the whole group, 19% were shown to be obese according to their body mass index (BMI).

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was then used to determine the brain volumes of participants in different parts of the brain.

Among people with higher BMIs, those with thicker waists had lower grey matter brain volumes than those who were slimmer round the middle.

“Obesity may be linked with brain shrinkage”

The lowest grey matter brain volume, seen in 1,291 participants, was 786 cubic centimetres, compared with a volume of 798 for around 3,000 people of healthy weight.

Grey matter in the brain consists mostly of nerve cells, while “white matter” is made up of connecting nerve fibres.

The study found no significant differences in white matter volume.

Lead researcher Dr Mark Hamer said: “Existing research has linked brain shrinkage to memory decline and a higher risk of dementia, but research on whether extra body fat is protective or detrimental to brain size has been inconclusive.

“Our research looked at a large group of people and found obesity, specifically around the middle, may be linked with brain shrinkage.”

“It may be possible that someday regularly measuring BMI and waist-to-hip ratio may help determine brain health.”