Need another reason to get back on the treadmill? Shifting those extra pounds now could actually stop your brain shrinking later in life.
At least that's the conclusion researchers at UCLA came to recently after a study into the brains of aging obese and overweight patients versus those who maintained a healthy bodyweight.
"The brains of obese people looked 16 years older than their healthy counterparts while [those of] overweight people looked eight years older," said UCLA neuroscientist Paul Thompson, senior author of a study published online in Human Brain Mapping via Health.com.
While some brain tissue loss is normal as humans slow down in old age, the evidence suggests being overweight could speed up the process, putting you at greater risk of Alzheimer's disease and other mental disorders.
Much of the tissue damage researchers found were in the frontal and temporal lobe regions of the brain, which control things like decision making and memory.
The study also found a correlation between weight and tissue loss meaning that the wider your waistband, the more brain cells you're likely to lose.
The good news is, it's never too late to reverse an unhealthy lifestyle. So dig out that yoga mat, hit the gym or check out tips from our health experts for some instant inspiration.
