BEACON TRANSCRIPT – Once again we are regaled with another tale about the dangers of obesity. And this time, the tale as old as time is told by a small team of British scientists. According to the plot of this story, obesity may lead to memory issues among other things such as diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

So, how’s this study any different than the others? Well, for starters, it addresses another aspect of obesity, one that has been overlooked: memory and brain power. According to the team of British scientists, obese individuals, or people who have a high score on the BMI scale, tend to be more forgetful than those with lower BMI.

Basically, what they are saying is that people with weight issues have the tendency of not being able to recall the little things, such as the gargantuan Subway tuna sandwich they just ate, or if they settled or not for another side of greasy French fries for dinner.

Bottom line idea is that the more pounds you have, the less likely it is for you to recall past events. Or so the study says. Picture this scenario: Saturday morning, sunny day, birds are chirping and you wake up feeling rested and refreshed.

Wouldn’t it be great to do something really healthy today like taking a few laps around the block or maybe quick stroll downtown? Well, no quite. Not as long as your fridge is filled with culinary delights such as leftover pound cake or pop-tarts or some pizza. Add a Coke and some cookies, and you already ate more calories than you can burn off in a single day.

That’s not a biggie for those with a fast metabolism, but it’s bad news for those who are already overweight.

According to this new study, which was published in the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Phycology, those who indulge in sugary and fatty treats are more likely to have short-term memory issues. And we are not talking about misplaced car keys or forgetting to turn off the light in the bathroom. We are talking about severe issues like forgetting what you had for lunch or dinner.

How was this study conducted? On a voluntary basis, of course. The team asked the help of approximately 50 volunteers, with ages between 18 and 35 years old. As we expected, some of them had a low BMI, while the others were overweight. Each of the volunteers received a quick memory test in order to assess the condition of their short-term and long-term memory.

And lo, and behold, those who were not overweight had a high score in comparison with those who had a higher BMI. Of course, the leading author of the study, by the name of Doctor Lucy Cheke, said that we shouldn’t take the results for granted.

Even though the initial results of the study pointed out that those extra pounds may impose on our capacity of remembering small stuff like not to eat more after a hefty meal, the results may or may not be subjected to generalization.

In conclusion, obesity may lead to memory issues, when the hypothesis is tested on a small group of participants.

Photo credits:www.youtube.com