Obesity can harm the brain, not just the cardiovascular system.
This damage has nothing to do with low self-worth caused by thin beauty standards. It’s biological.
High blood pressure, as well, can lead to brain harm. Obesity is a leading cause of hypertension.
The way obesity (along with hypertension) can hurt your brain is by raising the risk of cognitive impairment or dementia.
Early management of weight and blood pressure is important for keeping your brain healthy long-term. Don’t wait til your knees start giving out due to obesity to get the whip cracking on weight loss.
More and more research shows that obesity is bad for the brain. In The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism (2026) is yet another report showing this — and it’s not a link; it’s a direct cause.
Understanding Dementia
Dementia isn’t just one condition — it’s a group of brain disorders. Alzheimer’s disease, vascular based cognitive impairment, and mixed dementia are the most common types.
These conditions slowly damage nerve cells in the brain, which can affect memory, language, problem solving and behavior.
The study’s lead author, Dr. Ruth Frikke-Schmidt from Copenhagen University Hospital, says that high BMI and high blood pressure aren’t just associated with dementia — they can directly cause it.
Researchers analyzed data from thousands of participants in Copenhagen and the U.K., finding that higher body weight actively contributes to dementia risk. This goes beyond correlation and points to causation.
To make sure these results were reliable, the team used a method called Mendelian randomization.
It’s a genetics based approach that works like a randomized clinical trial.
Basically, certain genetic variants naturally raise BMI. By studying people who inherited these variants, researchers could see how increased BMI affects dementia risk without other lifestyle factors getting in the way.
High Blood Pressure
Often called “the silent killer,” hypertension is commonly caused by obesity.
But even if you’re not overweight, if you have high BP, you need to get this down to preserve optimal brain function down the road.
Dr. Frikke-Schmidt says that high BMI and hypertension aren’t just warning signs — they’re actionable targets for prevention.
Get Started NOW
You don’t need anyone’s approval to start a weight loss lifestyle change that can also get your blood pressure back to normal.
If you’re obese but have normal BP, don’t let this fool you. Obesity, in and of itself, is a risk to brain health.
Furthermore, your normal blood pressure currently could become high in the future as a result of your excess weight.
Previous trials of weight loss medications in people who already showed early Alzheimer’s symptoms didn’t slow cognitive decline. But timing may be everything.
The paper explains that interventions for reducing body weight and lowering high BP — before symptoms of cognitive decline appear — must be taken very seriously.
Simple Ways to Lower Your High Blood Pressure
Just five minutes a day — changing how you move your body — can help improve blood pressure.
Furthermore, reducing how much time you spend in a chair — even with good posture — can help with hypertension.
As for weight loss, perhaps the most effective way to achieve this permanently is to focus on portion control. Big portions = big bodies.
Cut back on ultra-processed foods and stop doubling up on the pasta, mashed potatoes, meatloaf, burgers, hotdogs, etc., and ditch the soda for water. You have only one brain.
