I found this article, which gives another excellent reason for keeping the waist measurement down as we get older!
“If you suffer from girth imbalance—also known as belly fat—you certainly are not alone. It is estimated that 50 percent of adult Americans carry unhealthy supplies of fat around their middle. Excess fat, particularly in the abdomen, can lead to a higher risk of heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and premature death. Researchers have now concluded that that creeping middle age belly fat also predisposes us to the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and other forms of dementia.
Dementia is an age-related disease that robs its victims of memory and cognitive functions; things like perception, reasoning, judgment, thinking, and speech. One in ten Americans over the age of 65 suffers from some form of dementia; 60 to 80 percent suffer its most common form, Alzheimer’s disease.
Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine studied 733 adults, with an average age of 60. The group was composed of 30 percent men and 70 percent women. Each individual went through body mass (BMI) measurements as well as scans to assess abdominal fat. The results, concurrent with other similar studies, showed that as the BMI increased, brain volume decreased.
“Our data suggests a stronger connection between central obesity . . . and risk of dementia and Alzheimer’s disease,’ said Sudha Seshadri, leader of the study published in the journal Annals of Neurology.
This means that for people reaching middle age, their 50s and 60s, there is a direct correlation between the increase in the waistline and decrease in brain size. Consequently the chances of some form of dementia hitting this particular group of people increases.”
Madonna’s thoughts: I went to a health congress in 2009 where obesity is linked to dementia and Alzheimer’s disease via inflammation: obesity makes us inflamed, and inflammation ‘eats away at the brain’. It’s time for us to get serious about our weight loss and keep it off. It’s a challenge, but it’s important.
Talk to us today about how we can help you with your weight loss challenges!!
We do
- testing to find out why weight loss is a problem
- explain dietary changes necessary for weight loss
- kinesiology to find out which foods are best for you
- frequency specific microcurrent to help reduce insulin resistance
- specific supplements to help what is necessary: liver detoxification, gut problems, thyroid sluggishness, insulin resistance, tiredness etc.
- and much more…
Madonna Guy, Naturopath, Wynnum, Brisbane
New Leaf Natural Therapies
3348 6098 healthteam@nlnt.com.au