The researchers analyzed two generations of Danish military and discovered that while obesity rates have increased, the reverse relationship between BMI and intelligence remained stable, provocative cases of displacement of cognitive tendencies.
Study: Intelligence and obesity during the epidemic of obesity. Credit Picture: denisproduction.com / shutterstock
In a recent study published in the magazine Scientific reportsResearchers investigated whether the increased prevalence of overdose and obesity during the obesity epidemic has changed the relationship between the body mass index (BMI) and intelligence.
Many studies in the last 50 years have revealed a reverse correlation between the highest BMI and intelligence, that is, the lower intelligence between obese individuals or the highest obesity dominance in people with low intelligence. Many countries have recorded a significant increase in the prevalence of obesity, referred to as an epidemic of obesity during this period. This raises concerns about whether the relationship between intelligence, BMI and obesity has changed during this period.
Previous Danish studies related to military born before 1960 have revealed a J -shaped, reverse correlation between BMI and intelligence, with lower intelligence in a higher BMI. One study also observed that this model remained stable over time, despite the growing prevalence of obesity. The researchers noted that this may indicate that the reverse relationship between BMI and intelligence was historically more intense in a smaller subset of people with a specific type of obesity. However, the overall relationship has not changed significantly in recent decades.
For the study
In the present study, the researchers evaluated whether the increase in obesity/overweight prevalence has influenced the relationship between BMI and intelligence in two Danish groups. The cogs included males born between 1939 and 1959 (early group) and 1983 and 2001 (late coil) in Denmark. All males appeared before a mission committee for cognitive and physical exams around the age of 18, but before the age of 27. The examination included weight, height and intelligence assessments.
The height and weight were measured during the examination and the BMI was calculated. Intelligence was evaluated using the BøRGE Prietians test, a standard cognitive test that has remained unchanged since 1957, which had four submissions: letters tables, rows of numbers, geometric elements and verbal proportions. The number of correct answers was gathered as an Information Test Score (ITS). The researchers used logistical support models and multiple linear reflux, including non -linear terms for statistical analyzes, with year of birth, height and geographical area as variables.
Findings
The early team included elements of more than 728,000 males appearing before the recruitment council between 1957 and 1984. Respectively, were included in analyzes.
Participants in the early team had a lower BMI than the issues of the last group. The delayed group showed a significantly higher prevalence of obesity at 6.7% than the early group (0.8%). Similarly, the early team had a lower prevalence of overweight at 7.9% than the late group (21.3%). The delayed group had a slightly higher average (41.1) than the early group (39.4), although the overall distribution of information was different between the coats.
Further, the prevalence of obesity was reduced to the quarters in both groups, although higher in the delayed cocktail compared to the early quartergone group. The Logistic model showed a consistent and monotonous, reverse correlation between obesity and ITs. It is important that there were no statistically significant differences in this correlation between the coats, indicating that the relationship remained stable despite the epidemic of obesity.
Each group had only slight differences in the Middle BMI in all quarters. The highest BMI was among the participants in its lower quarters. Specifically, the waist was the highest in the participants with normal weight, followed by people with low weight. The study confirmed a J scheme, a reverse correlation between ITs and BMI, where information ratings culminated in BMI of about 20 kg/m² before they were reduced. The reduction in information scores continued until a 38 kg/m² BMI was placed, although this drop was a bit more intense in the early group.
Conclusions
Together, the prevalence of obesity showed a consistent and monotonous reverse association with intelligence, without significant differences between the two coats. Besides, analyzes on the prevalence of overweight gave comparable results. Despite the growing prevalence of obesity and overweight, the study found that the fundamental reversal between BMI and intelligence has insisted.
The researchers stressed that the use of advanced statistical models, including non -linear regression, confirmed the well -being of these findings. They suggested that investigating the mechanisms behind the insistence of this Union could help to better understand the underlying factors that lead to the epidemic of obesity. This could inform the public health strategies aimed at alleviating the impact of obesity, taking into account its complex relationship with cognitive function.
