50+ Adults: Obesity & Dementia Linked, Women w Larger Waist 39% More Dementia Risk Within 15 Yrs

[appalachiablue]

"Belly fat in older women is linked to a 39% higher risk of dementia within 15 years, study says." By Ryan Prior, CNN, Tue. June 23, 2020. [Excerpts, Ed.]

(CNN) For older adults, your current belly size could be a key indicator in whether you develop dementia within the next decade or two. For women that risk is particularly high. For women in later adulthood, above average belly fat can lead to a 39% increased risk of dementia within 15 years compared with those who have a normal waist circumference, according to a study published Tuesday in the International Journal of Epidemiology.

> For men and women over 50, the dementia risk is 28% when taking body mass index and waist circumference into account together, the study said. Researchers measured participants' height, weight and waist circumference and followed up with them an average of 11 years later to see whether they'd been diagnosed with dementia.
> "As belly size gets larger, the memory center in the brain gets smaller, based on prior studies," said Dr. Richard Isaacson, who heads the Alzheimer's Prevention Clinic at Weill Cornell Medicine and New York-Presbyterian Hospital. "This new study is important since it supports these findings and relates a larger waist size to increased dementia risk, especially in women," said Isaacson, who was not involved in the study.

That study's findings could help us unravel more about the causal chain between dementia and obesity, the researchers noted. "Dementia is one of the major health challenges of the 21st century that could threaten successful aging of the population," said Andrew Steptoe, a study co-author and professor of psychology and epidemiology at University College London. "Our findings suggest that rising obesity rates will compound the issue."

**Obesity and dementia are linked** Researchers evaluated 6,582 subjects who were age 50 or higher. That project, which Steptoe leads, has been monitoring more than 18,000 subjects since 2002. Those who developed dementia were an average of 71.8 years old at the time of their baseline assessment. Those who were free of dementia had a mean age of 61.9 years old when they entered the study.
Researchers pointed to several explanations: dementia is directly linked to hormones derived from fat cells; body fat could be implicated in metabolic and vascular pathways associated with the buildup of amyloid proteins or brain lesions, known to be associated with dementia...
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** Read the full article including suggestions for diet, exercise and lifestyle modifications.

- More, https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/23/health/belly-fat-dementia-link-wellness/index.html

~ (I tried to post this impt. article in LBN but it's a day late; I'll X-Post in the Health Section).

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

1. Yet another example of why obesity is so bad for you.

It's right up there with smoking.

[appalachiablue]

2. Also toxic, mass 'food' we consume, lotsa screen & TV time,

very little walking and physical activity compared to a generation ago and more, larger meal portions, processed junk food on the run. The current food system needs an complete overhaul.

I read one of the 'nature schools' articles linked in that other post, how many public schools cut recess and physical education programs starting 2001 with Bush II as part of "No Child Left Behind" to emphasize instead getting ahead academically, to 'compete' in the global new world.. It was also about charging for testing and trying to drive out teachers and to privatize schools.
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>> Parents are clearly willing to pay to get their kids outside more, and with good reason. Forty percent of U.S. school districts cut recess or physical education programs after Congress passed the No Child Left Behind Act in 2001, partly in response to pressure to improve test scores.

But the benefits of getting outside to play are manifold, particularly in natural settings. Studies show that exposure to nature can help reduce ADHD symptoms; in schools with an environmental education component, students score higher on standardized tests in math, reading, writing, and listening than their non-nature-exposed counterparts. Other positive effects include improved critical thinking, problem solving, and cooperation. And there are health benefits, too: kids who play outside more often are less likely to develop nearsightedness, obesity, diabetes, and vitamin D deficiencies...

- Source: "Nature Schools"
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2014/01/05/benefits-digging-dirt