Health aNd Fitness Guide

Pot belly in middle age can increase risk of dementia in later years. Researchers at the Kaiser Permanente in Oakland, California, measured the sagittal abdominal diameter (the measurement around the stomach) of 6,583 adults in their 40s from 1964 to 1973. They examined the medical records of these individuals 36 years later and found that there were 1,049 cases of dementia. The participants were divided into five groups based on their waist measurements. Those with the largest waist circumference (from 23cm to 40cm) were almost three times more likely to have dementia compared to those with smaller measurements. Those with a normal weight, but wider bellies too ran the risk of dementia.