The Influence of Obesity on Cognitive Functioning Among Healthcare Professionals: A Comprehensive Analysis

Abstract

BackgroundExcessive body fat, or obesity, is a worldwide epidemic and a major contributor to the development of dementia. AimThe research aimed to determine how obesity affected healthcare professionals' memory performance. Materials and MethodA total of 474 participants (both male and female) were recruited in this study by random sampling method from three different health institutions. Participants were categorized into overweight, normal weight, and obese groups based on their body mass index (BMI) as per the WHO guidelines and for body fat participants. The memory function test was done using the Gilewski MJ scale. General frequency of forgetting, mnemonic usage, retrospective functioning, and seriousness of forgetting were measured and compared across the BMI and %body fat groups. ResultsThe percentage of body fat of males and females was 38.19% and 42.26%. Statistically, a significant difference (p<0.05) was observed among the male and female BMI and percentage of body fat. The results showed that there was a significant difference between memory scale parameters and percentage BMI. Statistically, a significant difference was observed in the level of general frequency of forgetting among participants with different percentages of BMI (p<0.05). Similar, results were also observed in the level of seriousness of forgetting, retrospective functioning, and mnemonics usage with different % BMI (p<0.05). The findings showed a positive correlation between BMI and %body fat on the scale of general frequency of forgetting and seriousness of forgetting whereas, a negative correlation was observed on the scale of retrospective functioning and mnemonics usage. ConclusionMemory loss is one of the disorders that obesity is linked to more frequently. A focus on keeping a healthy weight may help prevent the development of future diseases.

Inflammatory Pathways in Overweight and Obese Persons as a Potential Mechanism for Cognitive Impairment and Earlier Onset Alzeihmer’s Dementia in the General Population: A Narrative Review

“…Significant differences were observed in the level of general frequency of forgetting, the seriousness of forgetting, retrospective functioning, and mnemonics usage in relation to different body mass indexes and body fat percentage classes (p < 0.05). The findings showed a positive correlation between excessive body fat and general frequency of forgetting and seriousness of forgetting, whereas a negative correlation was observed to retrospective functioning and mnemonics usage [77]. In terms of memory subdomains, many studies found obese persons to suffer from working memory deficits [75,78,79].…”

A Comprehensive Review on the Role of Obesity in Functional Cognition (Part II): Cognition Impairment and Underlying Mechanisms, and Development of Neurodegenerative Diseases

“…HE CONDITION of obesity is a significant worldwide health issue that has wide-ranging implications, including its notable influence on cognitive abilities. An increasing amount of scholarly research has shed light on a strong correlation between obesity and cognitive impairment, which includes deficiencies in memory, attention, executive functions, and overall cognitive abilities (1). The association between these factors is of particular concern due to the escalating global prevalence of obesity.…”