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

Area of Science:

• Medical Science
• Public Health
• Cognitive Neuroscience

Background:

• Obesity is a global epidemic linked to increased dementia risk.
• Understanding obesity's specific impact on cognitive functions like memory is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between obesity and memory performance in healthcare professionals.
• To determine how body mass index (BMI) and body fat percentage affect various memory parameters.

Main Methods:

• 474 healthcare professionals were recruited via random sampling.
• Participants were classified into normal weight, overweight, and obese groups based on WHO BMI guidelines.
• Memory function was assessed using the Gilewski MJ scale, measuring general forgetting, mnemonic usage, retrospective functioning, and seriousness of forgetting.

Main Results:

• Significant differences in memory scale parameters were found across different BMI and body fat percentage groups (p<0.05).
• Higher BMI and body fat correlated positively with increased general frequency and seriousness of forgetting.
• Conversely, higher BMI and body fat correlated negatively with retrospective functioning and mnemonic usage.

Conclusions:

• Obesity is strongly associated with memory impairment, including increased forgetting and reduced mnemonic strategies.
• Maintaining a healthy weight may be a key strategy for preventing obesity-related cognitive decline and memory loss.