Belly fat may lead to Alzheimer's later in life
Dr. John
If your carrying around a pot belly you might also be increasing your chances of dementia.
It goes by plenty of nicknames, pot belly, pudge, spare tire. But they all describe the lining of fat around your midsection.
It used to be that most of us considered that a normal part of getting old, you got to retire, sit on your recliner and watch that midsection grow. But now we now that having that growing midsection can also mean your going to have more health problems. And it even looks like that same growing midsection can also mean your more likely to develop Alzheimer's later in life.
The reason behind all this is because we've found that the worst place to have fat is around your waistline. That's because fat there also means your organs in your abdomen, liver, spleen, kidney and intestines, are also wrapped in fat. And having them wrapped in body fat puts you at a higher risk of heart disease and strokes.
But little did we know, having the same spare tire can also increase your chances of developing dementia, and in particular Alzheimer's, as you get up in age. Researchers on the study that figured this out are also quick to point out that this spare tire-dementia connection doesn't just apply to overweight people. You can still have a normal weight and a spare tire.
As to why this increases your risk of dementia, researchers aren't sure but think that fat around your midsection might deposit substances into your bloodstream that end up in your brain. And as to how big is too big, these researchers also say that most of us know if we have a big belly or not. If we do, it's time to work it down.
