Part 4 of 5: Brain Degeneration and Obesity
This is one part of a five-part series about the many chronic and debilitating health issues connected to obesity. Please scroll to the bottom of this post for the list (and links) to the other posts in this series.
Don’t know about you, but I need every brain cell that’s still bouncing around my brain. Every time I drink a glass of wine, I recall something I once read that stated every ounce of alcohol kills upteen billion brain cells. (No wonder I spend my time blogging rather than doing something useful!)
Well, add fat cells to the mix of threats to the brain. Apparently fat cells don’t like brain cells, because the more of the first kind you have, the fewer the second variety hang around.
Check out these sobering statistics from a (yet another) new study:
Obese people’s…
- Brains have 8% less tissue than normal-weight individuals.
- Brains look 16 years older than the brains of lean individuals.
Overweight people’s…
- Brains have 4% less tissue.
- Brains are prematurely aged by 8 years.
I know it’s depressing. So many people who are heavy simply feel, “this is just who I am”. Which is true. In the moment, it’s true. Perhaps for all one’s life, it’s been true. What’s not true — at least for most of us* — is that it need be true forever.
(* No, you’re not the exception.)
Of course something needs to change. First one’s thought needs to change. Make the thought pregnant with possibilities of what a new, slimmer “you” would be. Mix the thought with emotion — put emotion behind the thought, rather than the food. Grab those who can help and make them part of the solution.
In about 40 days, often less, new habits can be formed. Substitution works best. Substitute the desired behavior for the undesired one. Time will unfold whether action is taken or not, so it doesn’t matter how long it will take. At the end of the day (week, month, year) deliver a new part of you to You.
It was always there waiting.
Motivated to do some reading about a new eating plan? Click on “Diet” under “Topics” in the sidebar on the right hand side of your screen. There are several posts listed there.
But this journey will likely be successful only if you recruit others to your cause… the buddy system of motivation, and checks and balances works.
Try to have fun.
Yep.
These are the titles and links to each of my five-part series on obesity:
The Seriously Serious Problems of Obesity. Intro: Part 1 of 5
Focus: Introduction to the many ills associated with obesity
The Seriously Serious Problems of Obesity, Part 2 of 5
Focus: Cancer’s relationship to obesity
The Seriously Serious Problems of Obesity, Part 3 of 5
Focus: Diabetes’ (type 2) relationship to obesity
The Seriously Serious Problems of Obesity, Part 4 of 5
Focus: Brain Degeneration’s relationship to Obesity
The Seriously Serious Problems of Obesity, Part 5 of 5
Focus: Sleep Apnea’s relationship to obesity
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Related posts:
- The Seriously Serious Problems of Obesity, Diabetes and Obesity
- The Seriously Serious Problems of Obesity, Sleep Apnea and Obesity
- The Seriously Serious Problems of Obesity, Cancer and Obesity
Published on November 22, 2009