Obesity is without a doubt a prominent and growing concern in our society. To put it bluntly, our society kind of looks like it’s getting fatter and fatter by the day. Childhood obesity is at an all time high and the speculations as to why vary greatly. Is it our diet? Maybe our sedentary lifestyles? Too much time playing video games and not enough time out playing outside like they did in good old days? Regardless, obesity is a troublesome and unhealthy phenomenon.
We recently read a review article on obesity entitled “Is obesity a brain disease?” The title is interesting in itself. Typically, we think of an obese person as simply having a larger than normal body mass. Of being overweight. We maybe associate obesity with the development of type-II diabetes, but for the most part we associate obesity with external physical features and physiological functions. Or at least that’s how I perceived obesity before reading this paper. However, obesity can also cause severe neurological damage as well.
As it turns out, “overnutrition” (just a fancy word for eating too much) can lead to a variety of unfavorable outcomes in the brain. Overnutrition has been linked to structural and functional changes in the brain. I was extremely taken aback by the fact that your brain will actually start to shrink in size as you continue to acquire more and more body fat. That’s just really a downer. An individual with obesity will also develop abnormalities in metabolic control and balance, which can essentially worsen the conditions if it causes an individual to consume more. Obesity has also been linked to cognitive decline, disruptions in sleep patterns, and inflammation in the brain.
Upon learning this information, I was really surprised. It’s made me more conscious of what I’m eating and how my eating habits now will affect my health down the road. But obesity as a brain disease? Seriously? For me, that brings it to a whole new level. I would hope that this information would encourage people to recognize how beneficial it is to have a healthy diet and exercise. Obesity is something that we should all strive to avoid, and I believe it is something that can be prevented with proper awareness and care.
