Being fat slows brain function, says a new study

A new study from a Korean lab found that obesity in elderly people may reduce cognition, suggesting a connection between fat and brain function.

The study, involving 250 people between the ages of 60 and 70, saw that those with higher body mass index scored more poorly on cognitive tests, according to BBC.

Subjects were evaluated by BMI, which looks at the weight to height ratio and waist circumference.

"Our findings have important public health implications. The prevention of obesity, particularly central obesity, might be important for the prevention of cognitive decline or dementia," study author Dae Hyun Yoon, a researcher at Seoul National University Hospital Healthcare System in South Korea told BBC News.

CBS reported that while the researchers found a link between obesity and brain function, there was no correlation found in people older than 70. 

The study, which was published in the British journal Age and Ageing.

In another study released today in the journal Circulation, Israeli and American researchers found that women who are overweight before pregnancy significantly increase their children’s risk of developing hypertension, hypercholesterolemia and diabetes as teenagers.

Read more on GlobalPost: Heavier doctors less likely to diagnose obesity, study says