Mid-Life Obesity Linked To Old-Age Dementia

Excess poundage in midlife could spell cognitive trouble in your golden years, claims a large new study that links obesity to dementia. The findings, which confirm previous research, suggest that "being fat has a detrimental impact on the brain," said study co-author Rachel A. Whitmer, a research scientist at the Division of Research, Kaiser Permanente Northern California. It's still unclear, however, how putting on extra pounds leads people to lose their mental faculties. The findings appear in the April 28 online issue of the British Medical Journal.

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