Losing those extra pounds not only makes you healthier, but also improves your memory, according to research. Have previous studies shown that obese people have their episodic memory impaired? the memory of life-long events. The study was conducted to understand if weight loss could improve memory and if it is related to changes in brain activity.
Magnetic resonance imaging allowed researchers to monitor brain activity while study participants performed a memory test.
Researchers at the University of Umea in Sweden conducted a study of 20 women following a proposed diet. Before and after the diet, Body Mass Index (BMI) was measured and episodic memory was tested, making women memorize unknown pairs of faces and names displayed on a screen.
Results showed that memory performance improved after weight loss, and the pattern of brain activity during memory tests reflects this. After weight loss, there was a change in brain activity during memory coding in brain regions important for identifying and matching faces.
According to Dr. Andreas Pettersson, “altered brain activity after weight loss suggests that the brain becomes more active in storing new memories and therefore needs less brain resources to remember stored information. Our findings suggest that obesity-related impairments in memory function are reversible, adding incentive for weight loss.
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