Seniors For Living

As if we needed more reasons to be convinced of the benefit of exercise, a study authored by Dr. Sudha Seshadri of Boston University School of Medicine determined that excess abdominal fat, already known to be a risk for heart disease, places otherwise healthy, middle-aged people at risk for dementia later in life:

Participants included 733 men and women, with an average age of 60, who were part of an ongoing study, called the Framingham Heart Study Offspring Cohort, which began back in 1971.

Subjects had a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain scan, to measure their brain size, as well as a computed tomography (CT) scan of their abdomen to gauge fat levels. Unlike simply measuring the waist circumference, a CT scan can distinguish between belly fat, also called visceral fat, and fat underneath the skin, known as subcutaneous fat, Seshadri said.

Seshadri and her colleagues also looked at other measures of obesity, including body mass index, or BMI (a ratio of a person’s height to weight that is considered an indicator of body fatness), the waist-to-hip ratio, and waist circumference.

The strongest link was seen between abdominal fat and brain size: More tummy fat meant less brain volume. This result held regardless of BMI, suggesting that abdominal fat might be a better indicator for dementia risk than BMI, and might contribute more to this link than fat in other parts of the body

While more study is needed to better understand the relationship between obesity and dementia, the starting point (isn’t it always?) to reducing this risk is to bring weight under control. Moderate exercise, strength training and a healthy diet are the most effective ways to combat abdominal fat.

As always, consult your doctor or other health care provider before beginning a diet or exercise program.

~Elizabeth Thielke