Overweight People are Less Intelligent that Fit Individuals, Study Says

Countless studies about obesity have emerged over the years which shed light on the possible causes of uncontrollable weight gain. A recent study emerged which caused a negative backlash from readers wherein it was mentioned that obese individuals have a poor mental capacity compared to those who have a fit and healthy weight.

A recent study caused outrage after it was mentioned that obese individuals are less intelligent compared to their peers. Telegraph mentioned that overweight individuals have different brain structure compared to those that are fit. Individuals who have weight problems are said to have less grey and white components in some of the key areas in their brains.

Aside from the grey and white matter found in the individual's brain, it was mentioned that people with weight problems have a hard time in making the right food choices. Overweight individuals usually come up with poor food choices as they have poor control over themselves.

"It has been suggested that body composition itself might somehow affect the neural systems that underlie cognition, motivation, self-control and salience processing, which would, in turn, affect one's ability to make better lifestyle choices, forgoing immediate and/or highly salient rewards for the sake of longer-term health and wellness goals."

The researchers calculated each individual's Body Mass Index which is used to measure a person's weight. After acquiring the BMI they then checked the fat percentages and checked both the brain structure and function as they check if there is a correlation between body weight and mental capacity.

According to the Daily Mail, the lead researcher of the study, Professor Chase Figley from the University of Manitoba stated the results revealed that no significant difference surfaced between the white matter upon comparing individuals who were fat or those with normal weight.

It was then revealed that those with higher BMI, however, has a more gray area in their brains, while those who were fatter and heavier have less white matter in their salience network. A difference also surfaced between the dorsal striatum, which is the brain area responsible for habitual behavior.

"It stands to reason that these changes could further affect the ability of overweight individuals to exert self-control and maintain healthy lifestyle choices," Professor Figley said. "'There are previous studies that imply elevated body fat can cause these sorts of brain changes."