Big Belly, Bad Memory
And if you are at a normal weight but have a gut, you aren't off the hook. The study showed that participants with BMIs of 25 and below who sported a gut were 89 percent more likely to develop dementia than hefty persons without a belly bulge.
That stubborn spare tire is the bane of the middle-aged, especially women. Hormone loss seems to play a role in its development after 40. "It's called the meno-pot," says registered dietitian Kathleen Zelman, director of nutrition for WebMD. "As women lose estrogen, weight gathers in the midsection." Genetics also plays a role in determining whether you are apple-shaped, with a big midsection, or pear-shaped, with a small waist but big buttocks and thighs. And let's not forget stress. A hormone called cortisol, released during the stress response, has also been implicated in developing belly fat.
Researchers aren't quite sure exactly how belly bulge plays a role in dementia, since obesity, with or without a gut, seems to affect Alzheimer's development. Beta-amyloid is a naturally occurring protein that goes awry in the brains of Alzheimer's patients, changing shape and forming plaque that disrupts normal nerve cell processes. Research shows that a high BMI is associated with higher levels of beta-amyloid, says Dr. Sam Gandy, Chair of the Alzheimer's Association Medical and Scientific Advisory Council. (According to the Alzheimer's Association, one in six women and one in 10 men who live to be at least 55 will develop Alzheimer's disease.)
But belly fat is clearly a factor, and scientists have some ideas why. The technical term for the potbelly is visceral fat. Unlike subcutaneous fat, the stuff you can pinch, visceral fat is tucked deeper within the abdomen, surrounding vital organs such as the heart and liver. It is considered particularly dangerous since it is active, producing chemicals that can affect health. Scientists suspect that it plays a role in inflammation, which is linked to insulin resistance, certain cancers and especially cardiovascular problems.
"There are still a lot of unanswered questions about obesity and Alzheimer's," says Gandy. "But unlike family history and age, which are important predictors for Alzheimer's, you can do something about your weight. It's a risk factor that is modifiable."
And there is some good news on that front—so to speak. Visceral fat is especially amenable to diet and exercise. "It's not a stubborn fat," says Dr. Keith Bachman, a weight management expert with Kaiser Permanente's Care Management Institute in Portland, Ore., adding that even a modest weight loss of 5 to 10 percent can reduce obesity-related risks.
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Member Comments
Posted By: Blueside @ 04/06/2008 9:10:31 PM
Comment: With regards to "Be-Real" comments made, i can say only one thing. Wait until you have some disease or illness that takes ahold of your life and leaves you helpless in many ways. I would like to see your opinion then when your the one fighting for your life. I have seen many healthy people in top shape fall victim to disease and illness. The human body is such a complex machine and all it takes is one little glitch to have problems occur. Not to mention the fact that we each have stresses in life which have different effects on all of us. If find your comments completely uneducated. Its mindsets like yours that prevent the human race from working as a team where everyone can have a better life!! At the end of the day, isn't that what we all want???
Posted By: Be- Real @ 03/28/2008 10:48:46 AM
Comment: If people with a high body mass index pose a strain to the national health care budget shouldn't they be rightfully pay more taxes. Isn't it unfair for those healthy individuals to be bearing the burden of contributing some of their hard earned money to subsidise the reckless happy eaters in our society
Posted By: Be- Real @ 03/28/2008 10:37:27 AM
Comment: Abdominal girth is a very reliable indicator of a multitude of ailments that plague the Western diet and couch potatoe lifestyle. It leads to the derranged glucose metabolism, hypertension and high cholesterol.
This constellation of disease states reflects a syndrome known as metabolic syndrome or Syndrome X to be precise, The high cholesterol cases narrowing of blood vessls throughout the body and causes what is known as peripheral vascular disease. The result a progressive narrowing of the vessls that perfuse all organs leading to cardiac, kidney, and gangrene of the limbs. The brain is not spared as the narrowed arteries compounded by the high blood pressure lead to intermittent loss of brain circulation. This causes a stepwise ratchet like decline of brain function often referred to as multi infarct dementia.
Now this link with Alzheimers make this link to dementia an even more compelling problem. Losing ones nuts is often referred to as the worst medical condition as most patients prefer to have a chronic ailment that protects their brain function that enables them to engage in the daily activities like making conversation reading and doing daily chores .
Having said that this whole problem of Obesity and its associated conditions should be tackled with more vigour than any other medical condition.