Obesity can mess up the brain for good; here's how
Those extra pounds, which may seem harmless, could be really messing with your mind. And it's not what you think. Obesity may do more than harm physical health, it could also contribute to anxiety and cognitive dysfunction.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
A new study found that obesity contributes to anxiety and cognitive impairment
A
, led by Desiree Wanders, PhD, of Georgia State University, looked at how diet-induced obesity affects behavior and brain function.
Obesity and anxiety
and anxiety rates are rising, especially among younger Americans, and the new research suggests that the two conditions are connected. The research conducted in mice linked diet-induced obesity with anxiety-like symptoms, alterations in brain signaling, and differences in gut microbes that may contribute to impaired brain functioning.
'Several studies have pointed to a link between obesity and anxiety, though it is still unclear whether obesity directly causes anxiety or if the association is influenced by societal pressures. Our findings suggest that obesity can lead to anxiety-like behavior, possibly due to changes in both brain function and gut health,' Desiree Wanders, PhD, associate professor and chair of nutrition at Georgia State University, said in a statement.
What obesity does to the brain
Though it is known that
can lead to conditions like type 2 diabetes and heart disease, the potential impacts on brain health are less clear. To understand the connections between obesity, cognitive function, and anxiety, the researchers designed a series of experiments in 32 male mice. During the 6 to 21 weeks of age (equivalent to adolescence into early adulthood in humans), half of the mice were fed a low-fat diet and half were fed a high-fat diet.
Tired of too many ads? go ad free now
The researchers found that the mice fed a high-fat diet weighed significantly more and had significantly more body fat than those fed a low-fat diet, towards the end of the study.
They also found that the obese mice displayed more anxiety-like behaviors, such as freezing (a defensive behavior mice exhibit in response to a perceived threat), compared with lean mice. Interestingly, these mice also showed different signaling patterns in the hypothalamus, a region of the brain involved in regulating metabolism, which could contribute to cognitive impairments.
The researchers also observed distinct differences in the makeup of gut bacteria in obese mice compared with lean mice.
'These findings could have important implications for both public health and personal decisions. The study highlights the potential impact of obesity on mental health, particularly in terms of anxiety. By understanding the connections between diet, brain health and gut microbiota, this research may help guide public health initiatives that focus on obesity prevention and early intervention, particularly in children and adolescents,' Wanders said.
Diabetes & Obesity
'While our findings suggest that diet plays a significant role in both physical and mental health, it is important to remember that diet is just one piece of the puzzle. Environmental factors, genetics, lifestyle choices and socioeconomic status also contribute to the risk of obesity and its associated health outcomes. Therefore, while these results are important, they should be considered in the context of a broader, multifactorial approach to understanding and addressing obesity-related cognitive impairments and mental health issues,' Wanders added.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Mint
13 hours ago
- Mint
Trump Officials Met with Walmart on Direct-to-Patient Drug Sales
US health officials met with with Walmart Inc. and other retailers this week as part of an effort to help Americans get their medicines more directly from companies that make them, according to people familiar with the talks. The conversations between the Trump administration and experts from the nascent straight-to-consumer drug industry are intended to explore streamlining the way Americans get their medicines, said the people, who weren't authorized to speak publicly on the matter. Officials at the US Department of Health and Human Services conducted the meeting to discuss options, the people said. It was unclear what the department's approach and timeline would be in pursuing such a venture. Walmart and HHS declined to comment. Reducing America's drug prices, currently the highest in the world, is one of President Donald Trump's top health policy goals. In May, he signed an executive order calling on the pharmaceutical industry to cut costs to the lowest level paid by similar countries. Part of that proposal instructed HHS to help Americans directly buy their medicine at those lower prices. One reason drugs are so expensive in the US is because they go through so many bureaucratic steps before they reach a patient. Most Americans get their drugs from pharmacies, which are paid primarily by insurance companies. The insurers work with other companies, called pharmacy benefit managers, to negotiate the prices with manufacturers. That process involves rebates, a fee that critics say inflates costs and the industry says is essential to prevent drugmakers from charging exorbitant prices. Trump has been talking about cracking down on PBMs since his first administration. Walmart started offering prescription delivery in October, making it a competitor to Inc. in the space. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
US Supreme Court preserves key element of Obamacare preventive care
The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday preserved a key element of the Obamacare law that helps guarantee that health insurers cover preventive care such as cancer screenings and HIV prevention medication at no cost to patients. The 6-3 decision written by conservative Justice Brett Kavanaugh reversed a lower court's ruling that the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force, which under the 2010 law formally called the Affordable Care Act has a major role in choosing what services will be covered, was not validly appointed. The ruling means that certain life-saving tests and treatments must continue to be provided cost-free under most insurance plans. That allays concerns raised by public health advocates that the court might open the door to insurers subjecting these services to co-pays and deductibles, deterring many Americans from obtaining them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Join new Free to Play WWII MMO War Thunder War Thunder Play Now Undo The task force's 16 members are selected by the U.S. secretary of health and human services without Senate confirmation. The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had found that this arrangement violated the U.S. Constitution's provision on the appointment of governmental officers. The case arose when several individual Christian plaintiffs and two small businesses sued in federal court in Texas in 2020 to challenge the task force's structure. It was the latest in a years-long series of challenges to Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature legislative achievement to reach the Supreme Court. Live Events A key question in the case was whether the task force wields power to such an extent that its members, under the Constitution's "appointments clause," are "principal officers" who must be appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate or "inferior officers" not subject to these requirements. Kavanaugh wrote that because task force members are adequately supervised by the U.S. secretary of health and human services, members are "inferior officers" and do not need to be appointed by the president and confirmed by the U.S. Senate. "The Task Force members are removable at will by the Secretary of HHS, and their recommendations are reviewable by the Secretary before they take effect," Kavanaugh wrote. "So Task Force members are supervised and directed by the Secretary, who in turn answers to the President, preserving the chain of command," wrote Kavanaugh, who was joined by fellow conservative Justices John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett, as well as the court's three liberal members. Three conservative justices - Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito and Neil Gorsuch - dissented. Before the case was narrowed to the appointments issue, the plaintiffs had included a religious objection to being required to cover pre-exposure prophylaxis for HIV. They claimed that such drugs "facilitate and encourage homosexual behavior, prostitution, sexual promiscuity and intravenous drug use." The U.S. government's appeal of the decision by the New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals initially was filed by Democratic former President Joe Biden's administration before being taken up by Republican President Donald Trump's administration. The task force is made up of medical experts who serve four-year terms on a volunteer basis. It reviews medical evidence and public feedback and issues recommendations about which preventive services would be most effective for detecting illnesses earlier or addressing ailments before a patient's condition worsens. The task force has identified dozens of preventive services as having a high or moderate net benefit to patients including screenings to detect diabetes and various types of cancer, statin medications to lower the risk of heart disease and stroke, and interventions to help patients quit smoking or unhealthy alcohol use. The 5th Circuit ruled in 2024 that the task force's structure violates the Constitution, as the plaintiffs claimed. The justices during April 21 arguments in the case posed questions over whether the law gives the HHS secretary the appropriate level of supervision over the task force, including the power to influence its recommendations and fire members at will, or if it operates as a largely independent governmental body whose recommendations effectively have the force of law. The Justice Department urged the justices to view the task force's members as "inferior officers." Hashim Mooppan, a Justice Department lawyer, told the justices that the HHS secretary can remove task force members at will, review their recommendations and prevent them from taking effect, and can require the task force to obtain his approval before it issues any recommendations. The plaintiffs contended that the task force's lack of supervision and insulation from removal makes its members "principal officers."
&w=3840&q=100)
First Post
17 hours ago
- First Post
US Supreme Court upholds key preventive care provision in Obamacare
The 6-3 ruling comes in a lawsuit over how the government decides which health care medications and services must be fully covered by private insurance under former President Barack Obama's signature law, often referred to as Obamacare read more The Supreme Court preserved a key part of the Affordable Care Act's preventive health care coverage requirements on Friday, rejecting a challenge from Christian employers to the provision that affects some 150 million Americans. The 6-3 ruling comes in a lawsuit over how the government decides which health care medications and services must be fully covered by private insurance under former President Barack Obama's signature law, often referred to as Obamacare. The plaintiffs said the process is unconstitutional because a volunteer board of medical experts tasked with recommending which services are covered is not Senate approved. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD President Donald Trump's administration defended the mandate before the court, though the Republican president has been a critic of his Democratic predecessor's law. The Justice Department said board members don't need Senate approval because they can be removed by the health and human services secretary. Medications and services that could have been affected include statins to lower cholesterol, lung cancer screenings, HIV-prevention drugs and medication to lower the chance of breast cancer for women. The case came before the Supreme Court after an appeals court struck down some preventive care coverage requirements. The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sided with the Christian employers and Texas residents who argued they can't be forced to provide full insurance coverage for things like medication to prevent HIV and some cancer screenings. Well-known conservative attorney Jonathan Mitchell, who represented Trump before the high court in a dispute about whether he could appear on the 2024 ballot, argued the case. The appeals court found that coverage requirements were unconstitutional because they came from a body — the United States Preventive Services Task Force — whose members were not nominated by the president and confirmed by the Senate. A 2023 analysis prepared by the nonprofit KFF found that ruling would still allow full-coverage requirements for some services, including mammography and cervical cancer screening. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
