Is Belly Fat Bad for Your Brain?

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Have you heard the news about the possible link between belly fat and dementia? New research from Kaiser Permanente and published in the journal Neurology takes a look at the association between midlife central obesity (fat in your belly area) and the risk of dementia three decades later. Basically we’re talking about carrying excess fat in your belly in the 40s and how it will affect the chance or risk for dementia in your 70s. Here’s a stat that will stop you in your tracks. Fifty percent of adults have belly fat also known by the more scientific names of central obesity and visceral fat which describes the fat’s location deep in the body and close to your organs.

It’s no secret that belly fat is tied to both the risk for heart disease and diabetes. This new research found that the more belly fat/visceral fat in the body during your middle years the greater the risk for dementia later in life. It seems that belly fat because of its close location to major organs releases potentially toxic substances and sets up a series of inflammatory activities in your body which result in negative changes such as plaque buildup. The latest research in dementia seems to point to plaque buildup in the brain as part of the problem.

What can you do? Diets that promise quick miracles are not the answer. They don’t work and you almost always regain the weight. Weight loss is not about motivation either since how motivated you are goes up and down with your feelings.

You make many decisions about your life every day. I see weight and health as decisions. Either you make the decision to put your health and weight as a priority or you don’t. Deciding that you are ready for change comes from inside you and nowhere else. Once you make the decision that you and your body are worth the time and effort, that’s half the battle.

All of us want our change to happen immediately or at least overnight. That’s why there are a zillion diet products out there as well as plastic surgery, work out programs, etc. Change takes work and hey, you’re already pushed to the limit and stressed. You don’t want to add anything else to your plate. Yes, change typically happens slowly but the good news is that it does happen. If you cut only 100 calories per day from what you eat, you will lose 10 pounds in a year. Doesn’t sound like much? If you were to weigh ten pounds less than you do right now, how would you feel about yourself? Pretty darn good. Plus, as little as a ten pound loss can improve blood pressure, blood cholesterol, make your clothes fit better and start to cut belly fat.

So, my point is that weight loss is not about deprivation but about making the decision each day to eat a little less, say 20 percent less than what you eat right now and move a little more. Walk the dog, wash the car, mow the yard, it all counts and burns calories. Caring for your health and weight doesn’t have to be hard, just consistent and part of your life. Give it a try….and that belly bulge will begin to shrink.