A new study has found that obesity during adolescence may lead to poor brain function in middle age, even if weight is lost in later years. Researchers from the Hebrew University-Hadassah Braun School of Public Health and Community Medicine tracked 507 individuals from age 17 over 33 years, assessing their cognitive function between ages 48 and 52.
The study, published in the journal Obesity, is the first to show that childhood or teenage obesity could have lasting mental repercussions. The findings indicate that the impact of obesity on cognitive function in midlife may begin in adolescence, independent of changes in body mass index (BMI) during adulthood.
Lead author Professor Jeremy Kark emphasised that the association between BMI and cognition, particularly when accounting for socioeconomic position, has not been previously reported. The study found that teenagers from lower socioeconomic backgrounds were most likely to suffer cognitive issues in their 40s and 50s.
The researchers used mixed models to calculate the life-course burden of BMI from adolescence to midlife, and multiple regression to assess associations with cognition. They noted that while socioeconomic position plays a crucial role in cognitive trajectory, it has rarely been adequately considered in such studies.
