Belly fat a risk for dementia

It seems that too much fat around your waist can affect not only your heart but also your brain.

“The reason for this is that fat on your hips gets metabolized differently than fat on your belly,” explains Dr. Carol Greenwood, Baycrest senior scientist and professor of nutritional sciences at the University of Toronto. “We know that people who carry their fat around their belly are more likely to develop obesity-associated diseases, specifically high blood pressure, high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. All of these are risk factors for developing dementia.”

“The best predictor of whether or not someone loses weight is how compliant they are with the diet.”

How can we lose unwanted belly fat? “No one diet is better than another,” says Dr. Greenwood. “The best predictor of whether or not someone loses weight is how compliant they are with the diet. The type of diet is not important. People need to choose an approach that works for them. Do that in combination with more exercise.”

Exercise is important because it improves brain function by increasing blood flow to the brain.