Midlife Obesity Raises Risk of Alzheimer’s Disease

Men and women who were overweight in their 40s have a greater risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease later in life, according to research presented at the American Academy of Neurology’s annual meeting in San Diego, California, in April.

Tracking more than 9,000 people for nearly three decades, the scientists reported that subjects with the highest levels of fat in the arm and back were nearly three times more likely to develop Alzheimer’s than those with low levels.

“These findings are important because obesity and overweight are treatable and modifiable risk factors,” said the study’s lead author Rachel A. Whitmer, PhD, of the Kaiser Permanente Foundation Research Institute in Oakland, California.

“Our results suggest that keeping your weight down in midlife can help you remain mentally alert later on in life. And if we don’t control the current epidemic of obesity, the number of cases of dementia in the future may increase even higher than is currently predicted.”

Belly Fat

Of particular concern is fat in the belly. Studying data from more than 6,700 people whose waistlines were measured 20 years ago, at ages 40 to 45, Dr. Whitmer and colleagues found that those with the highest amounts of abdominal obesity were 145% more likely to develop dementia compared with people with the least abdominal fat.

Diet Protects Against Alzheimer’s

A diet that prevents Alzheimer’s, other newly published research has found, is a heart-healthy diet that includes lots of vegetables, fruit, legumes (beans), potatoes, seafood, and grains like brown rice and pasta, and limits intake of saturated fat-rich foods like meat and dairy products. (Annals of Neurology, 2006; 59 (6) and online April 18, 2006, 10.1002/ana.20854)

Lead author Nikolaos Scarmeas and his team at Columbia University Medical Center followed nearly 2,300 elderly residents of New York City and found that the more...

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Pritikin Perspective is a publication for Alumni of the Pritikin Longevity Center. It is dedicated to helping people make healthy changes in their lives. The articles in this publication should not be considered specific medical advice, as each individual circumstance is different. You are strongly encouraged to seek medical advice before beginning a program of diet and exercise.
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