New research says obesity genetically intertwined with brain and mental performance

Researchers at the Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital (The Neuro) studied MRI and cognitive test data from 1,200 individuals, many of whom were siblings and/or twins, and discovered that those with a higher body mass index had lower cognitive flexibility, verbal memory, ability to delay gratification, and visuospatial ability. Their studies showed that those prone to obesity are more sensitive to visual food cues, and less able to resist them by considering the negative context, and they were able to determine the heritability of the traits as well as obesity, measured by BMI. Their research found that many of the cognitive and neurological traits have genetic links with obesity, leading them to make a link between genetics and obesity through brain anatomy and cognitive functions.

Uku Vainik, lead author and a researcher at The Neuro and the Institute of Psychology at University of Tartu, Estonia, said: “This research will be useful in developing interventions to help people with obesity. Modifying neurobehavioural factors with cognitive training, to improve people’s ability to resist food, for example, could hold promise. Interventions shouldn’t just focus on diet, but also acknowledge the neurobehavioural profile that obesity is genetically intertwined with. Such interventions might help people to stay lean despite their genetic signature.”