We’ve long heard that being overweight can put you at risk for a multitude of physical ailments such as heart disease and diabetes, however, a recent article in the NY Times reports that being overweight, especially in the midsection, puts a person at a greater risk for dementia.
The study, conducted by the research division of Kaiser Permanente, looked at 6,583 men and women in their 40’s, measuring their abdominal diameter in order to determine whether each had a concentration of body far around their midsection. The researchers then looked at medical records for these same individuals an average of 36 years later, finding that 1, 049 now had dementia. The researchers concluded that the twenty percent of individuals in the study with the greatest concentration of fat in the midsection, when measured in their 40’s, were three times as likely to develop dementia later in life.
Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 6 Apr 2008
Published on PsychCentral.com. All rights reserved.
Bechdel, J. (2008). Big Bellies linked to the development of dementia. Psych Central. Retrieved on May 20, 2013, from http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2008/04/06/big-bellies-linked-to-the-development-of-dementia/
