Researchers gave nearly 9,000 women a memory test and measured their body mass index. The results: overall, a women's memory decreased as her BMI increased. And her memory scores were even lower when her waist-to-hip ratio was smaller.
Researchers suspect women with a pear shape are more likely to have a type of fat around the hips that release hormones causing inflammation. That inflammation could then affect cognition and blood flow to the brain.