Losing weight is not only good for the waistline, it is good for the brain。

　　保持健康的體重不僅能讓你擁有苗條的腹部線條，同時還有益于你的大腦。

　　Scientists say substantial weight loss improves cognitive functions like memory and concentration。

　　科學家們發現，減去多余的體重的將提高大腦的工作能力，比如說更加良好記憶與集中力。

　　Researchers carried out tests on 150 volunteers, all weighing over 21 stone, and compared them with results from healthy people。

　　研究人員研究了150名體重超過21英石(約133公斤)的人員的各方面數據，并將之與健康人群的數值相比較。

　　In some tests, including memory exams, almost a quarter of the overweight participants scored low enough to be considered learning disabled。

　　在某些例如記憶力的測試中，近四分之一的體重超重者得分低到了基本可以被評價為“有學習障礙”。

　　Many of them had additional health problems, such as high blood pressure, type two diabetes and sleep apnea。

　　他們其中的很多人還有附加的健康問題，比如所高血壓和二型睡眠呼吸暫停等。

　　After the initial round of testing, two-thirds of the volunteers had gastric bypass surgery to reduce the size of the stomach and lost an average of about 3st 8lbs。

　　在經過第一輪的測試之后，有三分之二的受測人員進行了胃繞道手術，以減小腹部，并減輕體重。

　　After 12 weeks, they all took the tests again and the group that lost weight boosted their scores, particularly those involving memory, significantly. They also showed great improvement in organisational skills。

　　12周之后，所有人又再一次的接受了測試，體重減輕組的得分有明顯的體重，特別是在記憶力方面表現得尤為突出。同時他們在組織能力方面也表現出了很大的提高。

　　The 41 obese volunteers who declined the surgery ended up with even worse results。

　　然而那些沒有進行手術的受測的成績則更加糟糕。

　　Professor John Gunstad, of Kent State University, Ohio, said the research showed obesity can damage the brain, ‘especially the parts most important for paying attention and learning new things’。

　　俄亥俄州的John Gunstad稱，這份研究報表現實了肥胖對于大腦所造成的傷害，“特別是對于那些關乎集中注意力以及學習新事物的大腦部分，影響更深。”

　　In the study the researchers also used magnetic resonance imaging to see inside their subjects’ brains。

　　試驗中，研究人員運動核磁共振成像技術在檢測受測者得大腦活動情形。

　　The obese subjects tended to have damage to a particular substance that surrounds and insulates nerve fibres in the brain, suggesting that substance is needed for optimal cognitive function。

　　肥胖的受測者們較容易使得包圍并隔離大腦中的神經纖維的物質所受到傷害，而這一部分物質則利于優化大腦的認知功能。

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