A new study suggests that people in their 40s should take weight management seriously as high levels of abdominal fat appear to be linked to dementia in later life.
Abdominal fat is already known to increase the risk of a range of ailments and previous studies have shown that elderly adults with high levels of belly fat tend to have higher levels of brain atrophy.
Now, US researchers have shown that people with high abdominal fat in their early 40s appear to be more likely to develop dementia in their 70s.
A large study found that being overweight with high belly fat between the ages of 40 and 45 was linked with a 2.3 times greater risk of dementia, and people who were obese with large amounts of abdominal fat faced a 3.6 times greater risk.
Dr Rachel Whitmer, who led the study in the journal Neurology, said: "Considering that 50 per cent of adults in this country have abdominal obesity, this is a disturbing finding.
"Where one carries the weight - especially in midlife - appears to be an important predictor for dementia risk."
A new study suggests that people in their 40s should take weight management seriously as high levels of abdominal fat appear to be linked to dementia in later life.
