Dr. Alexis Stranahan began studying the relationship between your memory and weight almost 15 years ago, and today, she is able to provide some of the first evidence that explains why fat is bad for the brain.
Stranahan said, "People with obesity and type two diabetes are at nearly three-folds greater risk of developing age related cognitive impairment."
Too much fat in the body causes inflammation that triggers a cell called microglia. That cell is designed to clean the body of trash or infections, which keeps the neurons in our brains healthy.
But, when met with inflammation, it doesn't get the right signal to perform it's job.
"Anytime you start interfering with metabolic processes, like in obesity and type two diabetes, you're going to have an effect on the brain simply because the brain uses so much energy," said Stranahan.
Stranahan added that the memory loss can start off gradually, like forgetting where your keys are. But the progression can escalate to conditions as serious as dementia.