Living in a deprived area makes you fat and affects brain microstructure

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As the saying goes, you are what you eat. But it's not just about your body. According to research, living in a deprived area can affect food choices, weight gain, and even the microstructure of the brain.

The study shows that the poor quality of available food, increased calorie intake from foods high in trans fats, and an environment that is not conducive to physical activity (all common in deprived areas) disrupt the flexibility of information processing in the brain, which is involved in reward, emotion regulation, and cognition.

Previous research has shown that living in a deprived area can affect brain health, but in this study, the researchers conducted a detailed analysis of the cerebral cortex to determine how living in a deprived area can change specific areas of the brain that play different roles.

The researchers found that poor neighborhoods were associated with differences in the fine structure of the cerebral cortex. Some of these differences were associated with higher body mass index and correlated with high consumption of trans fatty acids found in fast food. The results suggest that areas of the brain responsible for reward, emotions, and the acquisition of knowledge and understanding may be affected by aspects of a poor neighborhood that contribute to obesity,” says the nutritionist.

Poor neighborhoods and obesity

The findings suggest that brain regions involved in reward, emotion, and the acquisition of knowledge and understanding may be disrupted by aspects of a disadvantaged environment that contribute to obesity. This highlights the importance of addressing nutritional quality issues in disadvantaged neighborhoods to protect brain health.

The district's disadvantage is determined by a combination of such factors as low average income, low level of education, overcrowding and lack of adequate plumbing. 92 participants took part in this study – 27 men and 65 women. Demographic and body mass index information was collected.

“Previous studies have shown that people living in disadvantaged areas are at higher risk of obesity due to poor quality of available food, increased calorie intake from foods with high in trans fatty acids and an environment that is not conducive to physical activity.”

In this study, researchers focused on the relationship between ADI and neuroimaging outcomes in four levels of the cerebral cortex to study in more detail the connections between an adverse environment and brain structure. Participants underwent two types of MRI scans, which when analyzed together provide insight into the structure, signaling and function of the brain.

Taken together, the results show that factors common in disadvantaged areas contribute to poor nutrition and unhealthy weight gain , disrupt the flexibility of information processing related to reward, emotion regulation, and cognition.