Came across this blog article on the New York Times website about recent studies correlating obesity with dementia:
"One study of 60 healthy young adults (in their 20s and 30s) found that the fatter members of the group had significantly lower gray-matter densities in several brain regions, including those involved in the perception of taste and the regulation of eating behavior. A study of 114 middle-aged people (aged between 40 and 66) found that the obese tended to have smaller, more atrophied brains than thinner people; other studies have found similar results."
You can find the entire piece by going to the New York Times Opinion section online and searching "Olivia Judson Brain Damage." She (Judson) includes a list of comprehensive citations, including a study that suggests that a healthy diet can help reverse the damage...Let's hope so!