Grant: Travel Awards - Institute Community Support

The number of individuals with obesity and dementia are increasing worldwide. Even though there is good evidence to suggest that obesity is associated with reduced cognitive abilities, there is emerging evidence that higher body weight among older adults may be associated with better cognitive outcomes. For example, recent studies have shown that higher body weight in late life is related with lower dementia risk. Therefore, more research is needed to better understand the relationship between body weight and cognitive function in older adults. In a study that spanned over 12-months, we examined the impact of body weight on brain function and cognitive abilities in 66 community-dwelling seniors between 70 - 80 years. Cognitive testing and brain scans were conducted across all 66 people. We found that compared with their lean counterparts, older adults who were obese at the start of the study had better memory and brain function 12 months later. In conclusion, our results suggest that higher body weight among older adults is associated with the maintenance of cognitive and brain function. Thus, low body weight among older adults may signify pre-clinical frailty or cognitive decline.