The doctors explain that considerable weight loss can increase blood flow to the brain. In addition, experts claim that patients, after the operation, spend less time thinking about food. Every year, around 7,000 Britons undergo surgery, such as gastric banding or other weight loss operations. Dutch researchers have shown that the installation of a gastric band has beneficial effects on both the brain and the silhouette. Obese patients obtained better results on cognitive tests after the weight loss operation compared to before.

Doctors believe that the decrease in blood pressure resulting from significant weight loss may promote blood circulation to the brain. Also, experts suggest that patients spend less time thinking about food after the operation, which unleashes brain power and can potentially prevent memory disorders, such as dementiain the future (source 1).

Previous studies have already established a link between weight loss and improved brain capacity, especially in terms of better task management, distraction filtering and impulse control. The effects of bariatric surgery on the mental performance of 129 patients were studied. These participants were subjected to memory, speech and attention tests before gastric bypass surgery in 2018 and again in 2021. Forty patients also underwent MRI scans to assess changes in their brain structure before and after the operation.

Presenting the results at the European Obesity Congress in Dublin, Dr Amanda Kiliaan of Radboud University Medical Center said that patients’ memory and attention “continued to improve two years after the operation”.

Each year, up to 7,000 Britons opt for bariatric surgery, which encompasses gastric banding and other weight loss procedures.