Midlife belly fat and the risk of dementia are longitudinally related with each other, reveals a recent research study conducted at the “Kaiser Permanente Division of Research”, in Oakland, California.

According to this study, the muscles tend to loose with the increase in age and therefore the bone mass is also reduced. It is one of the main reasons of gaining belly among the elderly people. Therefore measuring abdomen size in an old age would not be a good indicator. Instead the abdominal obesity in midlife could prove to be far better indicator of the long term ‘metabolic deregulation’ which often leads to dementia risks.

Central obesity measured by waist circumference has been considered to be linked with dementia along with the body mass index among the elders. Almost all previous studies established that a large abdomen in midlife also enhances the risks of diabetes, stroke, and coronary heart diseases. For the first time a longitudinal relationship between midlife belly fat and risk of dementia has been identified and established.

It is estimated that almost half of the adults’ population around the world has abdominal obesity. This may be a little disturbing for many but it is a fact that the central obesity and midlife belly fat along with the overweight body in the midlife further increases the risks for many other diseases. However, if someone carries more weight in midlife then it becomes more important predictor of dementia risk.

Autopsies have also provided new findings in this aspect. Specific types of changes in the brain that are associated with Alzheimer’s disease could begin in the young to middle age. Similarly, another research study also shows that greater brain atropy is directly related with the higher abdominal fat among the elderly people.

Implications indicated by the researches clearly indicate about the dangerous effects of abdominal obesity on human brain starts showing its symptoms well before the onset of dementia. Scientists are still working to explore the exact mechanism which controls the link between abdominal obesity and risk dementia in the midlife period.

Recently a study conducted in northern California included almost 6,583 people belonging to the 40-45 age groups. Abdominal obesity for all these people was measured. Scientists used calipers for measuring belly fat which facilitated the determination of distance from back to upper abdomen, midway between the top of pelvis, and bottom of the ribs. Belly density is directly related to the visceral fat tissue. These fat tissues are concentrated around organs. It was observed that on an average after the age of 36 years almost 16% of the 6,583 people were diagnosed with dementia.

Scientists observed that among the people with large belly fat and overweight the average risk of dementia was almost 2.3 times higher compared to those who had normal weight and belly size. Obese and large belly fat people were found to have 3.6 times more the risk of developing dementia when compared to those who had normal weight and belly size. Surprisingly, people who were overweight or obese but did not have large abdominal fat and belly size were found to bear an 80% more risk for developing dementia.

People who are having large abdominal fat and belly size are therefore bearing enhanced risk of dementia. It is immaterial if such people have normal weight or excess weight and even if they are obese. Existing diseases like hypertension, diabetes, stroke, and other cardiovascular disorders were also found to be immaterial if the person is having large abdominal fat belly.

It also indicates that the people who are non-white, smokers, having high blood pressure, high blood cholesterol, diabetes, and having less than high school level of education are more likely to have abdominal obesity and risk for dementia.

Scientists also feel that this direct longitudinal relationship between dementia and abdominal obesity is not solely just because of abdominal obesity. Instead, there could also be a complex set of health-related behaviors which contributes to this relationship. But in any case the abdominal obesity has to be one of such main contributing factor for developing dementia risks.

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