People who carry a lot of weight around their middle are at increased risk of developing dementia, say researchers.
A US study of more than 700 adults showed that being overweight is associated with smaller brain volume, a factor linked with dementia.
The finding was particularly strong in those with high levels of visceral fat – fatty tissue which sits around the organs, Annals of Neurology reported.
More than 750,000 people in the UK have a form of dementia.
The researchers from Boston University School of Medicine looked at people with an average age of 60 years old, 70% of whom were women.
Full story: BBC News – ‘Beer belly’ linked to Alzheimer’s disease