Pear-shaped women ‘more likely to suffer mental decline’

PEAR-SHAPED women who find slimming a challenge may end up “losing it” in other ways, research suggests.

A study found women who are wide at the hips are more likely to experience memory loss and mental decline late in life.

Scientists studied 8,745 women aged 65 to 79 who were given scores out of 100 on a mental test.

Although all the women were classified as “cognitively normal”, the results revealed differences linked to weight and body shape.

Test scores dropped by a point for every one-point increase in body mass index (BMI), a standard measurement based on weight and height.

Being overweight was generally associated with reduced memory and brain function. But overweight pear-shaped women were more affected than “apples” with thick waists. Researchers suspect this is because of the type of fat deposited around the hips.

“Obesity is bad, but its effects are worse depending on where the fat is located,” said Diana Kerwin, from Northwestern University in Chicago.

The study is published in the Journal of the American Geriatric Society.

Fat cells release immune system signalling molecules called cytokines that may affect the brain, scientists believe.

Different kinds of fat are known to release different cytokines that have various effects on blood fats, blood pressure and the way the body responds to insulin.

“We need to find out if one kind of fat is more detrimental than the other, and how it affects brain function,” said Dr Kerwin.

“The fat may contribute to the formation of plaques (brain deposits) associated with Alzheimer’s disease or a restricted blood flow to the brain.”

Rebecca Wood, of Britain’s Alzheimer’s Research Trust, said: “The pear shape is incredibly common, and while this study doesn’t explain fully the link between body shape and brain function, it surely makes the case for watching the scales.”