Weight loss ‘could improve cognitive function of diabetics’

Diabetic adolescents could improve their cognitive performance if they exercise and lose weight, a study has suggested.

Researchers at New York University’s Langone Medical Center used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to find that obese adolescents with type 2 diabetes have diminished cognitive performance and subtle abnormalities in their brains.

Dr Antonio Convit, professor of psychiatry and medicine at the institution, explained that the findings indicate that obesity causes insulin resistance, which leads to these brain differences.

The researchers claim that this identification emphasises the importance of addressing the issues of inactivity and obesity in adolescents with diabetes.

“If we can improve insulin sensitivity and help children through exercise and weight loss, perhaps we can reverse these deficits,” Dr Convit concluded.

Back in June, scientists from the Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, found that those who consume a diet that includes a lot of white rice are more at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

The new research suggests that obese children could perform better at school if they lose weight, will this motivate you to change what your children eat?