Need another reason to lose weight? Medical researchers found a link between the size of your belly and the risk of developing dementia in older age. Drawing on data of over 6,000 members of Kaiser Permanente patients in Northern California, researchers found that the risk of dementia was 2.3 times higher in people who had a waist of at least 39 inches.

The culprit is abdominal fat which is linked to cardiovascular problems, metabolic disturbances and generalized inflammation to name a few. Once thought to be largely inactive, abdominal fat has been found to release powerful cytokines that affect sensitivity to insulin, blood pressure, and the production of certain enzymes by the liver.

The interesting thing about the study is that people who were overweight or obese but not big-bellied were only a 1.8 times more likely to develop dementia.

What can you do about it? Well weight loss is always easier said than done but start by eliminating one can of soda/day or one cookie/day from your diet. This can translate into a loss of 10#/year. If you’re not a member of a gym, try walking or get yourself a stationary bike.

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