Tag Archives: dementia

Obesity will lead to increase in dementia

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Ever-growing waistlines could result in a big increase in the number of people who develop dementia in the future, researchers have warned.

Previous studies have shown that being overweight in middle age increases the odds of developing the mental disorder.

Data presented at the European Congress on Obesity suggests stemming the rise in obesity will cut dementia.

The Alzheimer’s Society charity said regular exercise and a healthy weight were important for reducing risk.

Piling on too many pounds is known to be bad for the body, but there is growing evidence that it is also bad for the mind.

Nobody knows exactly what causes dementias such as Alzheimer’s disease, but body weight appears to be a risk factor.

One study of 8,500 Swedish twins showed that those with a body mass index (BMI) greater than 30, who are classified as obese, were almost four times as likely to develop dementia as those with a normal BMI.

Even those who were clinically overweight, a BMI between 25 and 30, were 71% more likely to develop dementia.

Alzheimer’s

Alzheimer’s

In England 24% of men and 26% of women are obese.

Researchers from the UK Health Forum used computer models to compare what would happen if obesity rates stayed the same or increased to 46% of men and 31% of women by 2050, which has been predicted by some groups.


They said rates of dementia would go from 4,894 cases in every 100,000 people over 65 to 6,662 cases in every 100,000 people over 65.

Keeping obesity levels constant would save around £940m in dementia care, the study predicted.

Tim Marsh of UK Health Forum said: “We’ve known for a long time about the risks to cardiovascular disease, stroke, cancer, type 2 diabetes, so this is a new concern.

“Obesity is a major concern that’s going to have a major economic impact on the country and this further compounds that.

“The trouble is there’s a 25-year lag in this. Obesity started increasing in the 80s.”

Jessica Smith, a research officer at Alzheimer’s Society, said: “It’s easy to see the immediate impact of piling on the pounds, but we can’t afford to ignore the long-term effects.

“Evidence shows that obesity increases the risk of developing dementia. This study highlights the impact obesity will have on the numbers of people with the condition in the future.

She added that “maintaining a healthy weight and exercising regularly – especially in midlife – are hugely important in reducing your risk”.

Mediterranean diet and your mental health

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A Mediterranean diet low in red meat and dairy food and high in omega-3 fatty acids can help preserve memory and thinking abilities, say researchers.

Scientists in the U.S. studied the diets of 17,478 people with an average age of 64.

Participants were given tests that measured mental ability over an average of four years.

During the course of the study, seven per cent developed memory and thinking deficits.

The study found people who more closely followed a Mediterranean diet had a 19 per cent reduced risk of mental impairment.

A key element of the Mediterranean diet is omega-3 fatty acids, found in oily fish, flax seed, walnuts and pulses, which are known to benefit the brain and nervous system.

The diet typically also contains high levels of fresh fruit and vegetables and low levels of saturated fat.

The findings are published in the latest issue of the journal Neurology.

Lead researcher Dr Georgios Tsivgoulis, from the universities of Alabama in the US and Athens in Greece, said: ‘Since there are no definitive treatments for most dementing illnesses, modifiable activities, such as diet, that may delay the onset of symptoms of dementia are very important.

Mediterranean diet

Mediterranean diet

‘Diet is an important modifiable activity that could help in preserving cognitive functioning in late life. However, it is only one of several important lifestyle activities that might play a role in late-life mental functioning.

Exercise, avoiding obesity, not smoking cigarettes and taking medications for conditions like diabetes and hypertension are also important.’


Other recent research found that eating a Mediterranean-style diet can cut heart attacks, strokes and death rates in people at high risk of heart disease by as much as a third.

Changing the balance of foods in a diet can lessen the risk even before heart-related illness strikes, according to a major clinical trial.

Previous studies have compared the effects of the diet on people after they have suffered a heart attack or stroke – with many showing improved heart health.

But this research, published online by the New England Journal of Medicine, was the first to rigorously test the effects on a high-risk group.

In fact, the study of around 7,500 people was halted early, after almost five years, because the results were so clear it would have been unethical not to recommend the diet to all those taking part.