# Being Overweight May Protect Against Dementia



## SeaBreeze (Apr 11, 2015)

New study says that overweight people may be less likely to suffer from dementia.  I don't know if this is true, or why it would be, but I know that good fats are needed to feed the brain, as in coconut oil and omega 3s.  My aunt died from Alzheimer's and she was always thin. My BMI is just within the low range of overweight.



"In a surprising finding, a large study shows that middle-aged obese people have a significant -- nearly 30 percent -- lower risk of developing dementia than people of a healthy weight. 

The findings based on medical records of nearly two million people contradicts results from some previous research, which suggested that obesity leads to an increased risk of getting diagnosed with the disorder. 

"Our results also open up an intriguing new avenue in the search for protective factors for dementia," said professor Stuart Pocock from the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. 

"If we can understand why people with a high BMI have a reduced risk of dementia, it's possible that further down the line, researchers might be able to use these insights to develop new treatments for dementia," Pocock pointed out. 

For the study, the researchers analysed the medical records of nearly two million (1,958,191) people with an average (median) age of 55 years at the start of the study period, and an average (median) BMI (body mass index) of 26.5 kg/m2 (kilograms/square metre) -- just within the range usually classed as overweight. 

During an average (median) of nine years follow-up, nearly fifty thousand (45,507) people were diagnosed with dementia. 

People who were underweight in middle age were a third (34 percent) more likely to be diagnosed with dementia than those of a healthy weight, and this increased risk of dementia persisted even 15 years after the underweight was recorded. 

As participants' BMI at middle age increased, the risk of dementia reduced, with very obese people (BMI greater than 40 kg/m2) 29 percent less likely to get dementia than people in the normal weight range, the researchers noted. 

"The reasons why a high BMI might be associated with a reduced risk of dementia are not clear, and further work is needed to understand why this might be the case," the study's lead author Nawab Qizilbash from OXON Epidemiology, a London/Madrid-based clinical research organisation, noted. 

"If increased weight in mid-life is protective against dementia, the reasons for this inverse association are unclear at present. Many different issues related to diet, exercise, frailty, genetic factors, and weight change could play a part," Qizilbash said. 

The research was published in the journal The Lancet Diabetes and Endocrinology."
__________________


----------



## Ameriscot (Apr 12, 2015)

I heard this yesterday on tv and just shook my head.  Do I have a choice between Alzheimer's, diabetes, heart attack, etc. Should I go ahead and get fat? No, think I'll take my chances.


----------



## jujube (Apr 12, 2015)

Hallelujah!!!  There's hope for me yet!


----------



## Son_of_Perdition (Apr 12, 2015)

Or, how about the reasoning from some studies that we humans didn't start developing larger brains and eventually evolving more rapidly until we became meat eaters.


----------



## Shan (Apr 12, 2015)

My Mother had Dementia and I looked after her for about 6 years until her death.  I would not let her go into a Home.
She was underweight (had been on various diets most of her life) about 5ft 2ins tall and very frail.
Her Mother was very tiny and frail only 4ft 9ins tall,  she also had Dementia.

I take after my Fathers family,  larger build and taller (about 5ft 9ins) and yes I am a bit overweight.

It was something I feared would happen to me.  No sign of it so far!

I did read somewhere that keeping the mind active might help,  so about 7 years ago I bought my first computer 
and taught myself to use it.  

Fingers crossed!


----------



## halalu (Apr 13, 2015)

I always find it interesting when weight is a factor in a medical opinion. Does someone in a power position wake up in the morning feeling fat and decide to send out a weight and health broadcast just so they won't have to feel like they are a failure?


----------



## drifter (Apr 13, 2015)

My mother had dementia and three of her sisters. They were all skinny Minnie's. If fat is a shield against the disease then I may be home free.


----------



## Shirley (Apr 13, 2015)

I wonder if it has something to do with cholesterol. It is necessary for brain function.


----------



## Glinda (Apr 13, 2015)

Son_of_Perdition said:


> Or, how about the reasoning from some studies that we humans didn't start developing larger brains and eventually evolving more rapidly until we became meat eaters.



Gee, I wonder who funded those studies?


----------



## SeaBreeze (Apr 13, 2015)

Shirley said:


> I wonder if it has something to do with cholesterol. It is necessary for brain function.



You're right Shirley, I've heard that many times too, makes sense.  http://www.drperlmutter.com/brain-needs-cholesterol/


*"Your Brain Needs Cholesterol*

Cholesterol is vitally important for brain function.

 While your brain represents about 2-3% of your total body weight, 25% of the cholesterol in your body is found in your brain, where it plays important roles in such things as membrane function, acts as an antioxidant, and serves as the raw material from which we are able to make things like progesterone, estrogen, cortisol, testosterone and even vitamin D.

In fact, in a recent study available on the NIH Public Access site, researchers showed that in the elderly, the best memory function was observed in those with the _highest levels of cholesterol. Low cholesterol is associated with an increased risk for depression and even death.
_
_This understanding of the important role of cholesterol in brain function raises concern as we now see changes in recommendations for prescribing statin medication. 

Some estimates indicate that moving forward, the number of individuals taking statins to lower cholesterol in America may actually double! This presents a worrisome proposition for brain health."_


----------



## caregiverrelief (Apr 14, 2015)

I am a dementia care specialist, and when I saw this, I was upset. You see, overweight and obese are 2 different things. Diabetes is considered another type of dementia, so this study, does not address that concern. Everything I have read and studied says that what is good for the heart, is good for the brain.


----------



## Son_of_Perdition (Apr 14, 2015)

Glinda said:


> Gee, I wonder who funded those studies?


I wasn't advocating that you should eat more meat, I was pointing to my conclusion from a TV special I watched about human development.  There have been ongoing support of this hypothesis and yet it is still just a theory.  In my own defense for personal & health reasons I will continue to eat a balanced diet of red meats, eggs, fish, poultry, whole grains as well as fruits & vegetables.  After developing cancer and becoming dangerously anemic (RBC 4.7) I was put on a high protein diet consisting of red meats, dark vegetables, eggs,,,etc.  I was instructed by the center's nutritionist that your body doesn't get the needed B-12 or other blood building components from supplements that you get from natural red meats and eggs.  Over a period of 6 months I more than tripled my RBC to a safe level by staying away from carbs and sugars while I consumed what was suggested and lost weight.  I have always been and will continue to be a meat eater, but respect your decision to follow whatever dietary path you want.

I'm sure it wasn't funded or supported by vegans or PETA.


----------



## NancyNGA (Apr 14, 2015)

I've been thinking about this thread topic a lot because there is something that bothers me about it. 
I believe they *may* have their emphasis reversed, and the headline should read more like:

*Being underweight may increase the chances of dementia
* 
The original article contains an important sentence:

_"He (Stuart Pocock, an author of the new study and professor of medical statistics at LSHTM) said the new apparent link between 
being underweight and dementia risk was, as of yet, also unexplained, but suggested that people "heading towards dementia" 
may not have been looking after themselves and eating healthily, meaning they end up in the underweight range."

_(And, btw, nothing is mentioned about chronic dehydration.)
This from the  Mayo clinic: 

_Nutritional deficiencies
 Dementia-like symptoms can occur as a result of not drinking enough liquids (dehydration); not having enough thiamin (vitamin B-1), a condition common in people with chronic alcoholism; and not having enough vitamins B-6 and B-12 in your diet._So this may be a which comes first, the chicken or the egg, type thing.    Just a thought. What do you think?


----------



## Ameriscot (Apr 14, 2015)

caregiverrelief said:


> I am a dementia care specialist, and when I saw this, I was upset. You see, overweight and obese are 2 different things. Diabetes is considered another type of dementia, so this study, does not address that concern. Everything I have read and studied says that what is good for the heart, is good for the brain.



I'll just keep exercising and watching my weight and using my brain!  

My dad had Lewy Body Dementia, but I was told by a doctor when he was diagnosed that this type is not genetic.


----------



## drifter (Apr 14, 2015)

Now you are beginning to scare me


----------



## truespock (Apr 18, 2015)

This is SUCH good news!  Now, if I can only remember to get jelly doughnuts and chocolate milk at the store ... after I remember where the store is.


----------



## tnthomas (Apr 18, 2015)

It's hard to tell which way to "dodge the bullet", which health recommendation to take.   Here's a couple good tips to stay alive:

1. Don't go in if you see...


Spoiler







2. This one is pretty self-explanatory...


Spoiler


----------

