Obesity may not only increase the odds a woman will be fighting cancer at some point in her lifetime. Those excess pounds may worsen her memory too, particularly if she is older. In fact, the memory drain is worse among women who have pear-shaped bodies (carrying extra pounds on the hips) than those with apple-shaped bodies (carrying more weight around the waist).

Researchers at Northwestern University discovered these anomalies while reviewing health data on 8,745 post-menopausal women (ages 65-79) culled from the Women's Health Initiative

Based on a 100-point memory test -- the Modified Mini-Mental State Examination -- that takes conditions like stroke, heart disease and diabetes into account, a one-point increase in a woman's BMI was directly connected to a similar numerical drop in her memory score.

Experts may not know which kind of fat is more harmful on a human body, but they do believe the kind deposited around the hips may explain why pear-shaped women had more memory problems and brain function deterioration. Excess fat may also contribute to the creation of plaque connected with hindering blood flow to the brain or Alzheimer's disease, scientists say.

All the more reason for you to review our recent feature about the many ways you can protect your brain, with many varieties of memory food.

Journal of the American Geriatrics Society July 14, 2010

BBC News July 14, 2010

ScienceDaily July 15, 2010