Age-proofing Your Brain, Weight, 2

According to Roland Sturm, RAND Corporation Economist, being obese is like being twenty years older than you really are. It does more damage to your quality of life, causes more chronic medical conditions, and incurs more healthcare expenditures than either smoking or alcohol abuse. According to the World Health Organization, the worldwide epidemic of obesity is reaching critical proportions. An estimated 250 million people in the world are obese, and this number is predicted to reach 300 million by 2025. Interestingly, obesity is usually not about food anyway. It’s often about using food to self-medicate and to alter your neurochemistry to help you feel better. Remember: everything starts in your brain. Being either too heavy or too thin are both bad for your brain and, therefore, for your body as well. More tomorrow.