With the introduction of pizza vending machines and more fast food restaurants in a community than schools, obesity in the US has become an epidemic of sorts. According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, more than 35.7% of adults are considered to be obese; over 6.3% have extreme obesity.
We’ve all heard similar statistics before, or at the very least we know obesity is a growing problem – literally. You’d think the stigma of becoming a part of that statistic would be enough to inspire a person adopt a healthy life style. If not, perhaps the list of serious health concerns associated with obesity: diabetes, heart disease, stroke, high blood pressure, osteoarthritis, gout, gallbladder disease and gall stones, various cancers, sleep apnea, asthma – long as it may be, this is not an exhaustive list.
What would it take to inspire a change? Is adding one more risk to an already exceedingly long list really going to call people’s attention to the seriousness of this issue? Perhaps not.
But what if people were told obesity could lead to memory loss? That obesity, down the road, could be the reason they can no longer recall a loved ones name or remember the events of their wedding day.
Scientists have been connecting the dots together, indicating that this may be what we are seeing with the rise of obesity paralleling that of Alzheimer’s Disease (AD). In fact, in many cases AD is becoming better known as Type III Diabetes.
What is the connection and why does this happen?
It is well understood that diabetes is one of the greatest risk factors that accompanies obesity. Overeating causes an over intake of nutrients, overwhelming the cell structure that processes these nutrients. This structure then sends out an alarm signal, weakening the affinity of insulin receptors on the cell surface so it can catch up. Eventually, this leads to insulin resistance, resulting in an increase in blood glucose levels, a hallmark symptom of diabetes.
New information suggests that insulin resistance is not a characteristic unique to our periphery, but has been observed occurring in our central nervous system as well. Insulin resistance in the brain is where and how AD becomes referred to as Type III Diabetes.
Most of the brain does not require insulin for uptake of glucose into its cells; however, certain regions do, specifically the hippocampus and the frontal cortex – both areas of the brain important in learning and memory. Insulin resistance in these areas may be cause for beginning symptoms of AD.
Additionally, the PI3K pathway in the brain is responsible for successful aging and it is activated by insulin. A “Goldilocks pathway,” very strict regulation is essential. If its function is nonexistent, it’s lethal; if the pathway is over activated, it can result in AD. As it is triggered by insulin, this pathway is also affected by insulin resistance, although later in the pathway and not at the receptor level.
Not all cases of obesity are self-treatable. There has been research to suggest that for some individuals, similar to drug addicts, food becomes an addiction. There are binge eating disorders and oral fixations that may need medication or therapy to fix the problem. But in most situations, this is not the case. Obesity is a result of collective conscious decisions to disregard the necessity for physical activity, to eat poorly, whether out of choice or convenience, and to ignore or refuse to take action in regards to increased weight gain accompanying these lifestyle choices.
So how do we treat this Type III Diabetes?
To date, more research must be done to confirm that caloric restriction leads to later onset or decreased effects of AD. In the meantime, however, the destructive effects of caloric overload are evident. One could confidently say that practicing a healthy lifestyle has more positive effects, in regards to AD development, than the alternative and decreases overall health risks.
Wouldn’t you rather eat a few carrots now than one day forget the last meal you ate entirely? Was that cheeseburger and French fries really worth it if you can’t remember what it tasted like or that you even ate it? These questions are direct and perhaps oversimplifications, but it is evident that a change needs to be made to counter the rise of both obesity and AD in the US. Making these connections and considering the serious, if extreme, consequences may be just what is needed to inspire this change.
Food for Thought: Could Healthier Eating Decrease the Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease?
