I find the whole idea of obese toddlers deeply depressing, but here we go ... Researchers have found that toddlers who were morbidly obese, and adults who had been morbidly obese as toddlers, tended to have significantly lower IQ scores (average of 78, compared to an average of 106 in their normal-weight siblings), and many also had white-matter lesions in their brains (similar to those seen in Alzheimer's patients). The researchers suggest that obesity before the age of 4 has important developmental implications that may never be overcome.

And an Israeli study involving more than 130,000 people has found that autism is nearly six times more likely when the father was over 40 at conception, compared to being under 30. Maternal age didn't seem to be an issue.

The latest newsletter is out. In it, I talk about the role of mental stimulation in fighting off cognitive decline and preventing Alzheimer's; forgetting to do things; and mild cognitive impairment.