Obesity could be making children less brainy, say boffins
One in five Brits start primary school overweight
OBESITY could be making children less brainy, a study has warned.
It found youngsters with high blood pressure — a common side-effect of being too fat — performed significantly worse at tests.
US experts tested the mental abilities of a group of ten to 18-year-olds — half healthy and half with high blood pressure, also known as hypertension.
They found the healthy children performed better at memory tests, thinking speed and verbal skills.
Dr Marc Lande, of the University of Rochester in New York, said: “This suggests hypertension in youth may have an impact on brain function, and perhaps brain development in childhood.”
One in five Brits starts primary school overweight or obese, rising to one in three when they leave.
Data shows 37 per cent of young teens are too fat, up from 28 per cent in 1995.
The National Obesity Forum’s Tam Fry said: “A few years ago we assumed loss of brain power was an adult problem brought on by obesity.
“To have it show up at adolescence is deeply concerning.”
Blood Pressure UK boss Katharine Jenner said it was especially worrying as high blood pressure in under-18s was on the rise.