Forgetting about big belly now may mean forgetfulness later

User Rating: / 0
PoorBest 

by William Atkins

Sunday, 30 March 2008

Page 2 of 2 The study found that the ones with the highest amount of abdominal fat had almost 3 times more risk of getting dementia than those with smaller amounts of belly fat. Related stories Work, don’t retire, to stay healthier, according to Australian study We’re still going the wrong way: Obesity in U.S. worsens in 2007 Three popular diets improve health, weight loss slightly Be active and sleep well for a better memory U.S. report: teen pregnancies up, 8th grade smoking down, 9% asthma in children Specifically, those who were overweight and had a large amount of abdominal (belly) fat were 2.3 times more likely to develop dementia then people with normal weights and a normal sized belly. People who were obese (extremely overweight, according to the body mass index [BMI]) and had a large amount of belly fat were 3.6 times more likely to develop dementia than those with normal weights and bellies. Their conclusion, stated within the abstract to their paper, was that: “Central obesity in midlife increases risk of dementia independent of diabetes and cardiovascular comorbidities [the appearance of many illnesses]. Fifty percent of adults have central obesity; therefore, mechanisms linking central obesity [excess fat around mid-section of body] to dementia need to be unveiled.” In fact, American researcher Rachel A. Whitmer , one of the authors of the study, stated, "Considering that 50 percent of adults in this country have an unhealthy amount of abdominal fat, this is a disturbing finding. Research needs to be done to determine what the mechanisms are that link abdominal obesity and dementia." [Science Daily: “Larger Belly In Mid-life Increases Risk Of Dementia, Study Suggests ”] Whitman added, "Autopsies have shown that changes in the brain associated with Alzheimer's disease may start in young to middle adulthood, and another study showed that high abdominal fat in elderly adults was tied to greater brain atrophy. These findings imply that the dangerous effects of abdominal obesity on the brain may start long before the signs of dementia appear." [Science Daily] The Science Daily article notes, “As with all observational studies, it is possible that the association of the abdominal obesity and dementia is not driven by the abdominal obesity, but rather by a complex set of health-related behaviors, for which abdominal obesity is but one part.” To go along with this comment from Science Daily, it is also likely that physical inactivity and unhealthy lifestyles, signs of abdominal obesity, could also be factors in a greater risk of getting dementia. An active mind and body throughout one’s lifetime have been shown in scientific studies to lessen the risks from dementia, Alzheimer’s disease, and other diseases related to senility and forgetfulness. The results of this study, and many others involving dementia, are interesting and should be studied further to learn more about the various factors that cause dementia. Please enable JavaScript in your browser to post your comment! Tags See All Tags Alzheimers disease  Dementia  Research  Science  William Atkins  Get stories like this delivered daily - FREE - subscribe now << First page <   1 2 Next page > Last page - Post your comment >>

 

< Next story in category		Previous story in the category >