Obesity can trigger Alzheimers Disease

August 4th, 2006

Yet more bad news for those who are over-weight or on the obese side of the scales, I’m afraid.

Scientists have found that obesity can be a major risk factor in contracting Alzheimer’s disease in later life. Apparently there is about a twenty year lag between being obese and the onset of Alzheimer’s.

The reasons for this are quite complex, however they centre around the increased tolerance to insulin that obese people can have. As their bodies become more resistant to insulin, they require more insulin for their cells to absorb sugars from the blood.

High levels of insulin are damaging to many cells in the body, including those in the brain, apparently, leading to Alzheimer’s disease.

If these findings are correct, then we have yet another important reason to ensure that we keep our weight under control.

However this gets me thinking and feeling more than a little concerned.

If there is only a twenty year gap between obesity and Alzheimer’s disease, then what is the prognosis for the increasing numbers of children who are obese?

Not only are they likely to contract diabetes, we now know that there is more chance that they will also suffer from Alzheimer’s disease - probably in their forties.

Entry Filed under: Health Issues