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The relationship between obesity and cognitive health and decline
Dye L, Boyle NB, Champ C, Lawton C.. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society, 2017-09-11
Topic: Risk, prevention and care in population studies
The relationship between obesity and cognitive impairment is important given the globally ageing population in whom cognitive decline and neurodegenerative disorders will carry grave individual, societal and financial burdens. This review examines the evidence for the link between obesity and cognitive function in terms of both the immediate effects on cognitive performance, and effects on the trajectory of cognitive ageing and likelihood of dementia. In mid-life, there is a strong association between obesity and impaired cognitive function. Anthropometric measures of obesity are also associated with reduced neural integrity (e.g. grey and white matter atrophy). Increasing age coupled with the negative metabolic consequences of obesity (e.g. type 2 diabetes mellitus) are likely to significantly contribute to cognitive decline and incidence of dementia. Stress is identified as a potential risk factor promoting abdominal obesity and contributing to impaired cognitive function. However, the potentially protective effects of obesity against cognitive decline in older age require further examination. Finally, surgical and whole diet interventions, which address obesity may improve cognitive capacity and confer some protection against later cognitive decline. In conclusion, obesity and its comorbidities are associated with impaired cognitive performance, accelerated cognitive decline and neurodegenerative pathologies such as dementia in later life. Interventions targeting mid-life obesity may prove beneficial in reducing the cognitive risks associated with obesity.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Dye, L., Boyle, N. B., Champ, C., & Lawton, C. (2017). The relationship between obesity and cognitive health and decline. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665117002014
Vancouver
Dye L, Boyle NB, Champ C, Lawton C. The relationship between obesity and cognitive health and decline. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2017. doi:10.1017/s0029665117002014. PMID: 28889822.
BibTeX
@article{dye2017-28889822,
author = {Dye, L. and Boyle, N. B. and Champ, C. and Lawton, C.},
title = {{The relationship between obesity and cognitive health and decline}},
journal = {The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society},
year = {2017},
doi = {10.1017/s0029665117002014},
pmid = {28889822},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1017/s0029665117002014}
}
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Key findings
- Anthropometric measures of obesity are also associated with reduced neural integrity (e.g. grey and white matter atrophy).
- Increasing age coupled with the negative metabolic consequences of obesity (e.g. type 2 diabetes mellitus) are likely to significantly contribute to cognitive decline and incidence of dementia.
- In conclusion, obesity and its comorbidities are associated with impaired cognitive performance, accelerated cognitive decline and neurodegenerative pathologies such as dementia in later life.
- Interventions targeting mid-life obesity may prove beneficial in reducing the cognitive risks associated with obesity.
Why it matters
This review reports that obesity in midlife is strongly associated with impaired cognitive function and that obesity and its related conditions such as type 2 diabetes likely contribute to cognitive decline and dementia. It also notes that a possible protective effect of obesity in older age needs more study, and that surgical and diet interventions may improve cognitive capacity.
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Study details
- Evidence strengthLow
How this study scored 46/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal. Scored zero for study design, sample size, effect reported, studied in people and randomised / blinded because the record does not state it.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society) |
| Journal's citation record | 2 / 4 | Proceedings of The Nutrition Society: journal h-index 193 (OpenAlex, 2026-10-29) |
| Study design | 0 / 12 | No study design recorded — scores zero, not guessed (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Strength of evidence | 1 / 5 | Rated “low” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 2 / 5 | 2017 — within 10 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 0 / 3 | No effect size reported — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomised / blinded | 0 / 2 | No randomisation or blinding stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Times cited | 6 / 7 | Cited 470 times (OpenAlex, 2026-10-10) |
| Citations per year | 4 / 5 | 42.7 citations a year over 11 year(s) since 2017 |
| Impact for its field and year | 4 / 6 | Cited 13.8× the average for papers of its field and year (OpenAlex FWCI) |
| Cited by studies here | 2 / 6 | Cited by 5 other studies in this library |
| Still being cited | 3 / 4 | Cited 199 times in 2024–2026 (2026 still in progress; OpenAlex) |
| Senior author's track record | 2 / 4 | Last-listed author Clare Louise Lawton: h-index 35 (OpenAlex, whole career) |
| Institution's track record | 1 / 3 | University of Leeds: institution h-index 950 (OpenAlex) |
| Multi-centre collaboration | 0 / 3 | OpenAlex lists 1 institution(s) in 1 country — scores zero (affiliation lists can be incomplete) |
| Indexed in PubMed | 2 / 2 | Indexed in PubMed (PMID 28889822) |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Total | 46 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
Read the original
- DOI: 10.1017/s0029665117002014
- PubMed: 28889822
- Original source →
- Free full text: Proceedings of The Nutrition Society →
Full text: free to read — OpenAlex lists this copy as free to read: the link above (checked 6 Feb 1020).
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